Do your cats love milk jug rings and other little bits of things that they can chase and carry around the house? Mine certainly do and it occurred to me that these tiny toy are kind of like the bugs that cats would hunt in the wild. Some toys are more like mice, others like birds, but bugs are small and move a certain way.
I decided to experiment and create some smaller cat toys that mimic the size and shape of bugs. Our first new creations are Jingle Jax. These toys are made with strips of colorful Merino wool felt that are like little legs or antennae. Each set includes one long-legged critter and two smaller matching toys all with jingle bells to add a some extra fun to playtime.
When I brought these home to test with my cats, there was a lot of springing into the air and pouncing on top of the toys followed by picking them up in their mouths and racing off. Jingle Jax come in a variety of luscious colors. Available for $6 a set from the Hauspanther online shop.
We also created Skitters, small cardboard toys that measure approximately 1″ by .75″ by .5″. These little guys were also a big hit with my cats. They do disappear, but somehow they resurface regularly. The cardboard makes them extra light and easy to grab with teeth or claws and the little ends are perfect for grabbing. $4 for a set of three toys from the Hauspanther online shop.
As with all of our products, Hauspanther toys are handmade in the USA.
Just another DIY mimicking “bugs”, (in fact my daughters & I call them “bugs”)-they’re actually different versions of “Tassles”. Being fairly new to knitting & crochet, I tend to have a LOT of “scrap” yarn. (I also only use natural fabrics with either natural or non-toxic dyes). The thing is, you have to find ways to make them to big to swallow/choke on for our fur-babies. My daughter tried making a small, plain TASSLE with ribbon-and over $900 later, my fur-grandson has a devil of a scar on his tummy!!
I got some ping pong balls REALLY cheap on eBay and used just flour & water to make a paste to secure a BUNCH of yarn around it-with about 4-7 inch “legs”/”tentacles”. My Leela and all 4 of my grand-fur-children absolutely LOVE them!! Especially the ones with bells attached!!
PS Trying to learn & practice crochet in the house with a hyperactive 9m old kitten is QUITE the “experience”!!
PSS Does ANYONE know what, in a vintage silk sari yarn skein could possibly be acting like catnip??!! Leela actually doesn’t “react” to actual catnip, but when I received & opened my new skeins of silk yarn, she rolled in it, dove into it, curled around & under it,…just acted as if she were in “Kitty Utopia”!! The girls that sent it swear it’s never been around any other critters or “toxins”.
The family love little skittery things and woe to the insect who happens to invade this territory! Another favorite here is lizards. I’ve rescued one little guy and found two thrown tails so far. ;( So I’m sure these toys would be a huge hit with them!