Homemade Cat Nip Toys?

[sivyaleah]

First, I do NOT sew. Not even a button.

Is there an easy way to make a cat nip toy at home?  Without sewing?

I'm growing cat nip in a pot, and it's apparently wonderfully potent according to my cats.  I tried giving a small amount of it to them to eat but Casper threw it up and Cocoa just wants to roll over it.  

I need to find a way to put it into something that can just be tied off I think.  Would an old stocking work?  Or will they tear through it?

Again.  Do not sew 

  Do not own pins, needles, thread, etc.  I failed that part of Home Economics 

 

[Columbine]

How about this - take an old sock (a stocking is too thin, imo ), tie a tight knot at the toe end, 1/3 of the way in. Add your catnip, and maybe some extra stuffing to pad it out (depending on how much catnip you have). Tie another tight knot, 1/3 of the way in from the other end. You're aiming for a nicely filled centre, with equal amounts of fabric at each end. Then take some scissors and 'shred' each end into tasseles. You now have a cheap, almost instant catnip toy

 

[allycalico]

If you have some old t-shirts, just cut out a square, put the catnip in the center, and tie off (tightly) with a ribbon. You could cut off the toe of an old sock and do the same, but it'd probably need to be a pretty thin sock - I can never get the ribbon tight enough around the top of thicker socks to keep the catnip from coming out. Baby socks work the best, if you have access to those.

 

[sivyaleah]

Thanks @Columbine  and @allycalico.  I can definitely handle doing those.  

I only have 1 large plant. I think I'll start picking off leaves and drying them until I have enough filling.  

As for a baby sock, maybe my next door neighbors will give me one of theirs lol. I do have a Carter's near me and socks are cheap so most likely I'll just do that 

  Asking someone for old used socks seems weird LOL

 

[pegleg]

A friend did something similar, they used an old pair so one sock was used to stuff the other, along with a generous amount of cat nip. Tie a knot in the end and voila.

It was his favourite. It would get really manky from him chewing and drooling on it so they'd just put it in the wash and refill the nip every so often.

 

[lilin]

Yup, I've done this with little cloth sachets I had laying around, like to put loose change or little trinkets in. Just put in catnip, pull the drawstrings, then tie. Ta-da!

It was covered in Pia's drool of love in very short order. When we offer kitties toys with cool shapes and intricate sewn patterns, we're sorta doing it for us. Kitty just wants the drugs, the jingly thing, whatever.

 

 

[MoochNNoodles]

The dollar store has baby and kid socks.  My Grandpa used them on the ends of his walker! 

  Target usually has kids socks in their Dollar spot too.  

I have a few catnip drawstring saschets; but with Noodles' tendency to eat ribbon I can't leave those out unsupervised.  

 

[bbdoll22]

sivyaleah
If you message me your address I can mail you some slightly used cotton toddler socks. I have unmatched sock mates. I live in NY.

 

[sivyaleah]

@sivyaleah
If you message me your address I can mail you some slightly used cotton toddler socks. I have unmatched sock mates. I live in NY.

Thanks so much! 

I did manage to rustle up some mismatched old cotton socks of my own 

 If they don't work out, I'll PM you