Posted by mushrooms on Jun 23, 2010 in Fun
Follow these instructions to make Wicked Good Cat Toys and get rich quick, or at least make your cat happy and your kids laugh.
Terminology
- wicked good - New England words that mean really good or very good. Wicked can be used to emphasize bad, too, but that’s negative and I’m not.
- Kitty Can’t Cope Sack - Possibly the world’s greatest cat toy. See the link above.
- Catnip - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catnip
Supplies
- Bits of fabric. Size, color, weight, and type can vary. Unbleached, natural, cotton duck is a good choice. Lighter weight fabrics may be used for dainty cats, and households without thieving canines. Size can vary, based on design (see next section)
- Fabric ribbon (not gift wrap ribbon), bias tape, string, shoelaces. If your cat eats string and shoelaces, don’t use them
- Catnip. The best catnip is from the link above. Bad catnip is a tragedy. Choose carefully.
Assembly Instructions
It is vital to the success of this project that you follow these instructions carefully.
- Find the fabric and cut it into a shape. Squares are good, circles are nice, triangles can work, asymmetric polygons are fine.
- Lay the fabric wrong side up on a perfectly flat, level surface. Use a level.
- Carefully measure and place some catnip in the center of the fabric. Measure as much as you want, but be sure to be accurate.
- Use the ribbon or tape to tie the fabric in such a way that the catnip stays inside.
- Play with the cat.
Optional Accessories
You might want to make a more sophisticated cat toy. Options include:
- Leaving a long end on the ribbon, so you can drag the toy. Cats like to chase stuff.
- Rolling the toy in catnip, so the outside is wicked strong, too.
- Gift wrapping the toy. Cats like presents.
- Placing the toy out of reach. Cats like to find stuff.
Care and Maintenance
If the toy gets a bit bedraggled after use, you may empty the catnip in the yard. Be sure to comply with any regulations with respect to disposal of organic matter or hazardous waste, depending on the type of catnip. You can wash the fabric and reuse it, or relegate it to the dust rag pile or even … throw it out.