Friday is homemade cat toy day, so today, I’m going to share with you the Dream Cat-cher from Furball’s eco-friendly cat toy book. This one is sooooo easy, but Furball’s been loving this game for the past two weeks. He actually breaks his nap to come out at the same time each morning to play.
Basically, you’ll need some sunshine, which has been a little hard to come by lately in the winter. However, we’re fortunate to live in California. We’re originally from the Northeast, so we know what winter’s like for everyone else. So, just hang in there until the next sunny day :).
Next, you’ll need a CD or DVD. Preferably, it’s one that you don’t need or want. This game shouldn’t cause any damage to the disc, but it’s better to play it safe. Personally, I’ll use the DVD that I rented from Blockbuster, but I justify that by reasoning that I return the DVD in better condition than I received it. I’m going to take a little green segue now and you’re welcome to skip by going to the next next paragraph.
Little Green Segue: Here’s why the DVDs are returned in better condition than how I received them. There are actually some green tips here, so thanks for reading. Plus you’ll get an insight into a slice of life for Furball’s Mommy. My DVD player is so old that it has a VHS tape player integrated with it. The DVD technology from back then isn’t as good as it is now. If there’s even the tiniest smudge on the disc, my DVD player will freeze up and stop playing the disc. This usually occurs at the most inopportune climatic moments of the movie. Anyway, to prevent the freeze, I tear off one quarter of a sheet of recycled paper towel. Then, I spray a tiny squirt of Seventh Generation all purpose cleaner on the disc and give it a good wipe. Those discs are sparkling when I put them back in the case.
OK, back to the Dream Cat-cher and a quick and fun way to play with your cat. Flip the disc so that the underside is in the sunlight. Move the disc around so that the light reflects onto the wall and floor. The lightbeam will quiver like a moth and it’s simply irresistible. Sit back on the sofa and with a few flicks of your wrist, your cat will be chasing that beam all over the room. Be sure not to shine the beam in your cat’s eyes!
HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION
Today’s green actions are for you and your lifestyle. After all, this blog is about green living for YOU and your cat.
- Before buying the latest gadget, consider whether you really need it. When you do purchase an item, buy a quality product and use it until it completely stops working and can no longer be repaired. Then, find some geek on recycle.org to take it and recycle it into a cat feeder like this one on Make Magazine.
- Be conscious of how you use paper towels and whether you can use a reusable cloth instead. If you do need to use a paper towel, do you really need a whole sheet? I can’t tell you how many times I see people in a public restroom wash their hands, then grab three paper towels, graze them lightly for a second, and then toss the whole pile out without any thought.
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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. |
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