Green Little Cat

Cat Toys

Day 3: Simple Eco-Friendly Cat Toy IdeasThe 30-Day Green Cat Challenge

As the author of Make Your Own Cat Toys: Saving the Planet One Cat Toy at a Time, I’m obviously a big proponent of homemade cat toys. The book shows you how to make eco-friendly cat toys that are fast, fun and super-easy to create.

Since writing the book, I have not purchased a new toy for Furball. I find there’s more than enough “make your own” cat toy ideas in the book (52 in all) to keep him busy. As well, I just can’t help myself. I keep inventing new homemade cat toys all the time.

However, I appreciate that making your own cat toys is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, here are some simple guidelines for making more eco-friendly cat toy choices if you’re not into making homemade cat toys.

  1. Only buy toys that you know your cat will love. Observe his or her preferences and stick with them. If he/she loves one type of toy, keep buying more of the same. This will help reduce the number of discarded toys.
  2. Buy quality over quantity. Before you make your purchase, examine the toy to see how well it is made. Does it look sturdy or does it look cheaply made? A quality toy will last longer.
  3. Buy locally made toys. You’ll help support the local economy and also reduce the resources required to ship the toy to your store. Ideally, the toys should be made from locally sourced materials as well.
  4. Choose organic and natural. With the growth in environmental awareness, there are now many options for toys made with organic catnip and natural materials. Bear in mind that from a human attractiveness scale, these toys may be somewhat aesthetically-challenged compared to the brightly coloured plastics from overseas. Remember that your cat cares more about the smell, texture, sound and feel of the toy and you’re the one who cares if it looks cute.
  5. Stay away from battery operated toys. There is no substitute for the real thing, which is you. Your cat will always find human companions infinitely more entertaining than a repetitive battery operated toy.
  6. Invent your own toys and games. You and your cat are a fountain of creativity. There are no limits. Just remember to play safely.
Dozens of Eco-Friendly Cat Toy Ideas

Furball, my cat, loves to play and he was so hyperactive as a kitten that I invented dozens of toys and games for him and even wrote a book about them.

Make Your Own Cat Toys features instructions for over 50 cat toys that can be made in minutes, if not seconds, from stuff you have around the home. If you’d like to learn more about the book, please visit www.MakeYourOwnCatToys.com.

The end of a journey is really the beginning

On August 2, 2008, I decided I was going to get serious about publishing my eco-friendly cat toy book. See www.makeyourowncattoys.com.

Now, about four months later, I can proudly say that my book, MY book, is now available for sale on Amazon.com. I really can’t describe the feeling of seeing my book cover and my name up there on the list of book results on Amazon. It was quite thrilling.

This book is in alignment with my beliefs and my passion to save the environment. I chose a print-on-demand service so that the books would only be printed when requested unlike the typical print runs in the industry. I didn’t want my book ending up in the bargain bin at the bookstore. There was even one book publisher I worked for that readily admitted it was cheaper for them to print excess books and throw them away than to print what they projected would sell.

Print-on-demand (POD) also enabled my book to be printed in the United States where most of my readers reside, as opposed to China or Singapore. I would have other liked to print it on recycled paper, but decided local POD was more environmentally-friendly until the book outgrows POD. Then, I’ll be looking for a local eco-friendly printer.

I realized that my journey doesn’t end with the listing of my book on Amazon. This is only the beginning. My mission for this book is to save the planet one cat toy at a time by raising awareness of conscious consumption and introducing millions of people to greener options for their pets and themselves. Imagine if people thought before they bought low quality toys made overseas. What would the world be like if we supported local businesses that used natural materials and made quality products and sustainable choices? And, I’m not just talking about cat toys.

Now, I have to figure out how to tell millions of people about my book…

P.S. This book is a fabulous gift for the cat lovers in your life. Since it was just published days ago, you can be pretty sure that no one you know will have it yet :). Please visit: www.makeyourowncattoys.com