I think a few plain old boxes will do, but if you really want to make something:
Well, for all 3 litters of kittens I've had- wait, are your cats still kittens? Well either way this will work -I made a little 'house' for them out of cardboard boxes. It had a box tipped on its side for the momma to feed the kittens, and then a 'hallway' which led to a bigger box, laid down normally, which we called the 'playroom'. And then from there, there was another very long 'hallway' which led to the 'bedroom', where they usually slept. All of it had pillows and sheets throughout. ANYWAYS, you could make something like that for your cats....Even if they are grown cats.
Not sure if they'd like it as much as a plain old box though. I'm not sure. But you could try it!
Alrighty, there is something like a magnetic attraction between 'cats' and 'cardboard boxes'.
Even little boxes. Big boxes are fun, too, but even something as small as a shoebox, I've seen my cats try to cram themselves into.
We have boxes all over the house... I have 2 in the kitchen and 1 big one in the family room that I lined with carpet (I pour catnip into that one & they just love it). Also another flatter one in the living room. And, one in the master bedroom. And a few in the basement.
One of my daughter's favorite books is, "My Cat Likes To Hide In Boxes".
One of the most simpliest and fun toys is a box or paper bag with a few holes in them (various sizes). I wish I had video tapes of a litter of kittens playing pounce or hide/seek inside the bags/boxes.
What you might also do is tie a small toy to hang inside too.
The best box in my house is an empty 30 pack box. Give them a large enough opening on one end for them to be able to leap in, and make sure the handle holes on the sides aren't covered. I leave mine in a long hallway with linoleum - they leap in and use it as a sled up and down the hallway.
The great thing about boxes? When they trash them, you throw it out and get them another!
It's pretty common to hear someone yell out "cat in box!" or "cat in a bag!" in our house. The best boxes seem to be those that are semi closed and filled with those packing peanuts that disolve when you get them wet. They love to hop in, get them ALL OVER the living room and then bat them all over the wooden floors.
My current stray/foster kittens are in love with a big brown shopping bag on it's side and a crumpled plasitc shower curtain on the floor.
Smokey loves boxes and bags, you always have to watch out where your walking, he will hide in anything. His favorite is the water bottle packaging, we usually take out half of the bottles, he loves to hide in there and then swat and grab your foot as your walking by. He is so cute! LOL
when I got abi I also got her a cat bed and some toys.... duh.
her absolute most favorite toys are cheapie things I had around the house: boxes, paper bags, scrunchies which she smacks like hockey pucks around the hardwood floors of my house, straws and knotted up cord handles from shopping bags. There is one purchased toy she liked: a little fish made by petstages that a friend gave her for chanukah. I also make felted balls mice and snakes to which I add ribbon tails to and she loves to hunt them. But card board and paper can't be beat !!
I just made my cats a cat bed out of a cardboard box and they just love it well you need to be careful with the stirafoam ( sorry about spelling) peanuts they use for packaging because if your cats eat them it could be very dangerous.
Boxes are one of the best FREE interactive toys I have found for my cats. I converted an empty cardboard box (scratching post came in it) into an interactive playground. The box is about 30" long and 16" tall. I cut a small hole in one end, another one the side, and another one on the top of the box! My cats love to dart inside the box and "bat" at each other through the holes. I was going to get rid of the box after one month, but it's been here over a year!!
Empty soda boxes also work very well too. My cats love to burry their heads into one end and somehow manage to squeeze their bodies through the box (like it's a tunnel).
At 11 years of age, PJ is still addicted to boxes. Any box we bring home is hers - it doesn't even have to be a box, just a piece of cardboard will do. She's sleeping in a box right now (I need to take pictures) - no blanket or anything in it, she just like the box. She paws it constantly too.
Teddy, on the other hand, has no interest in boxes. I think he's jumped in a grand total of one box!
My kitties also love boxes big and small. The kittens seem to reall like the 12 pack coke boxes. We taped a few of them together and made a long "tunnel" The love to chase each other throught it.
My cats love their box! I just cut holes in a big box and leave it in a corner for them. Then I usually throw a ball or in these pictures a walnut in the box for them to roll around.