Y’all know that I am a loud and proud cat mom! And I try to find the best interactive toys that I can for my indoor cats. And when I found these cute, little interactive feeders, I knew I could add a little personalized touch to them. Using my Cricut machine and some vinyl, I was able to create the best DIY moving cat toy that’s not only functional, but personal too!
You make think that it’s a little over the top. But I’m sure other cat owners and pet parents like us get it! We just want the best cat toys for our furry friends! But yes, I am a tad over the top when it comes to my kitties. I mean, they even have their own little cat room!
So, of course I would go above and beyond when it comes to cat toys for my babies! And, this is a perfect way to celebrate national pet day or national cat day too!
But, if you’re looking for a cute and personalized cat toy idea too, I’ve got you covered! Come see how just how I created these cute toys below! If you’re a cat lover too, I know you will appreciate this!
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Why Are Interactive Toys Good For Indoor Cats? ‘
Before I share just how I made these little cuties, you may be wondering why even bother with a moving cat toy? Just why do cats need an interactive toy to play with? I will share some great examples of why below!
- Keeps their mental stimulation going and engaged, preventing boredom and potential behavioral issues.
- Encourages physical activity, helping to maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity.
- Provides a way for cats to exert their natural hunting instincts in a safe and controlled environment.
- Helps strengthen the bond between cat and owner through interactive play.
- Can alleviate stress and anxiety by providing a fun and engaging outlet for pent-up energy.
Materials Needed For DIY Moving Cat Toy
How To Make Personalized Cat Toy
The first thing I did was get the cats a toy I wanted to personalized. I had two of these little interactive feeders that you can put treats in.
This toy is a great way for them to get treats because they actually have to work for it. I’m not just handing them treats on a silver platter!
It gives them some physical exercise and is an excellent way for them to have some independent play. These are also like puzzle feeders so they aren’t too easy for them to just run up and get treats from.
They also come in several different bright colors so you could choose which one you like best for your furry friend. Thank goodness, because my older cat, Toby, would just sit there and eat all the treats without actually moving!
But basically, you could personalize a variety of toys using the method I am sharing below. Just go through your cat’s toy collection and find the right toy to use here!
Choose A Design On Cricut Design Space
To make this fun toy, all I did was go onto Cricut design space and pick out a ready made design. How easy is that?! And once I found one I liked, I cut it out on some permanent vinyl. Now, since I have two cats, I made one for Toby and one for little Miss Riley.
Once the design was cut out, I used my weeder tool to get rid of the excess vinyl. Then, I placed transfer tape on top of the design.
Using the scraper tool to make sure the design fully adhered to the tape, I carefully peeled the tape off of the vinyl backing. Make sure all the vinyl design comes up with your transfer tape too. To do that, peel carefully and slowly in a diagonal motion.
Now you can place the transfer tape with the design on the actual toy itself. Using the scraper tool again, make sure to scrape over the tape thoroughly to ensure the vinyl attaches to the toy.
To remove the transfer tape, peel slowly and carefully away from the toy, ensuring that the vinyl design sticks on the toy. And viola! You have the best interactive toy that is personalized to your little kitty’s name!
Now, do I think that Toby and Riley will know exactly which toy is theirs and only get treats from that one? Of course not! I’m sure there will still be some fighting going on over the last treat in the toy. No matter whose name is actually on it.
But, like I said above, I am an over the top cat mom so I figured why not?! I think they turned out so cute and I know they like them too. Even only if it’s just for the treats!
Other Perfect Toys For Cats
Now, if you’re not into the whole personalization thing, I hear you. There are plenty other options out there that would be a great toy for your feline friend. So here are some of the best electronic cat toys that we have in our collection too.
Laser Pointers
My little Riley is obsessed with her laser toy! She plays with it almost every night and we have to be careful about hiding it after we are done playing with her.
She will steal it and then hide it under the rug or under the cabinets if we don’t put it back in the drawer. Now, I don’t know why since she can’t actually turn it on without us, but yet she still does!
However, this year we got her an electronic laser pointer instead of a manual one and she really loves that. The laser light moves at different speeds and different ways all around which makes her exercise and run to get it.
And the best part is the battery life on it lasts for quite awhile too. So she can be entertained for awhile without us having to actually hold a classic laser pointer.
Also, it gets out all of her excess energy which is a huge plus! However, senior cats, like my Toby, may not use the lasers as much. He doesn’t get too excited when he sees that toy going.
Automatic Cheese Grater
Now, this toy Toby really loves! And it is so cute too! It looks like a block of Swiss chess and a mouse pops in and out from the holes! The LED lights on it tells you whether it’s in standby mode or automatic mode, and it automatically turns off too.
That way it gives them a few minutes of active play without it going off all day. This toy brings them both much enjoyment, and even us too because it’s fun to watch them play with it!
Catnip Toy
Another tried and true favorite in this cat household is anything with a bit of catnip in it! They both love catnip and it tends to mellow them out after they play with it. Both older cats and active cats can benefit from just a little bit of catnip!
Other great toy ideas that can keep a cat’s attention are wand toys, a feather toy or feather wand, or even just a plain old cardboard box! My cats love to try to fit in any box they can and are content for hours!
Basically, you just need to find whatever the best toys are for your cat and you to enjoy together! And of course, if you want to be extra like me, feel free to personalize them using a Cricut machine and some vinyl!
And if you’re looking for some other purrfect cat related articles, check them out below:
This is such a cool idea as I am sure it helps keep the cat entertained, and it’s great that it can be personalised/DIY’d!
Thank you my friend! I love how it turned out too!
Thank you my friend! I love how it turned out too.