Crochet cat toy for the SPCA

I do a lot of volunteering at my local SPCA and am part of the volunteer committee. Since I got my little Bruno I went from going to the SPCA or doing things for them 4 days a week to not going for two weeks. So I am trying to come up with ways on how to help my SPCA while only being able to go there once a week – once every two weeks.

My idea is this. I remember seeing someone post that they had made a crochet cat toy mouse and had put catnip in it. My boyfriends mother has wanted to teach me how to crochet. So I figure I can make little mice or toys for cats and they sell it and keep everything they make (they have a store there).

So my question. Does anyone have such a pattern? Something easy, since I am a noobface at this? I have been looking around but since I have no idea what to do I am not sure what would be too hard for me.

Thanks all!

One of our UK members used to make some as well but she doesn't come on now?. She made my kitts a couple and they love them. Jack even carries one around and they've had them for over a year now

There are a couple of patterns here: http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com.../pet_items.php

You will just need to make sure that the pattern you choose doesn't have pieces that fall off and can be swallowed.

If you want to start off easy - we have someone that can't 'get' the mouse pattern and makes balls instead - my cats prefer the balls and they are a huge seller for us, we go through so many with just volunteers buying them for the shelter cats

Just curious...

My wife teaches knitting (and she CAN crochet), so I have some concept of all this. For that matter, my grandmother once taught me how to crochet (I was all of 5 or so at the time) and a little item I crocheted ended up as a doll hat and is somewhere in the extended family, still.

Anyway, once you crochet the mouse, how do keep the catnip inside it? Do you pre-wash it in hat water to shrink it up, or what?

Once you learn the basic concept, you'll probably find you can make up patterns on your own! That's how I make my crocheted dangle toys for our shelter.

They're just a small finger-holding circle of chain stitch encased in what I call loop stitches (I have no idea of the right term), with a chain stitch string about a foot long, and at the end of the string, a little bell shape, a flower shape, a ball to stuff a little gauze bag of catnip into... whatever I come up with.

I always work my way back up the string, inserting a second stitch into each existing one as reinforcement. That also allows me to tie off the yarn at the end you hold onto, rather than the end the kitties are batting at -- which I hope helps it last longer! And I use all-cotton yarn, because I think it's softer for little kitty mouths than synthetic.

Be sure and post pictures of your creations!