My cats love catnip. The only problem with buying catnip toys for them is that the catnip doesn’t ever seem to last that long, well the smell at least. This means that I go and buy these toys for the cats, they play with them for a few days and then discard them and they sit around the house. Well after doing a bit of research, I decided I was going to make my own but try and different type of stuffing instead of cotton that is used in most toys bought at the store. This is what I have come up with to make the smell last for much longer.
Materials Needed:
- Two cut out pieces of material, any size, any shape (I use 3 in x 3 in squares the most)
- Sewing Machine
- Button Thread (regular thread is not as strong and could cause stuffing leaks)
- Uncooked White Rice (not Minute Rice)- Must be uncooked as it will make the oils absorb the catnip oils
- Dried Catnip (or fresh if available)
Instructions:
1. Get a bowl and mix 3 parts uncooked rice with 2 parts of catnip in a bowl with cover. Cover and shake well. (If using fresh catnip, chop leaves in small pieces and microwave on a plate for 1 minute to dry the catnip out a bit.) Set mixture aside.
2. Put two pieces of material together with right sides (bright side) IN and back sides (dull side) OUT. Sew around the edges but leave ½ inch opening. Be sure that you reinforce the beginning and end sewing by reversing stitching a couple times. I like to go over all the stitching as well.
3. Using a wooded spoon handle, turn sewed piece inside out. Using a small funnel, pour mixture inside of the sewed piece up to 2/3 full. The toy will feel like a small bean-bag which cats love! The secret — THE RICE ABSORBS THE CATNIP OILS AND MAKE THE CATNIP SCENT LAST A LONG TIME!
4. Sew up the ½ inch opening. Test stitching to be sure there are no openings or leaks. The cat toy is done! Throw to your cat(s) and watch the fun! They love rubbing and rolling and tossing!
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