DIY: Over 30 Different Cat Toys To Sew, Knit, Crochet, or Assemble

Here are a ton of DIY cat toys!  One of my pet peeves (groan!) is ugly pet toys .  I like them to be colorful, cute, and/or funny, and the easiest way to achieve that is to make your own.  The great thing about DIY cat toys is they take very little fabric, yarn, etc. and they’re usually quick to make.  All of the toys below will make nice gifts for kitties and their people.  Have fun!

Adorable hearts, cupcakes, strawberries, roses, & chocolates.



Kitty fortune cookies.


 

No-sew feathers and fish.


 

 

Suede mouse.


 

 

Beautiful birdies.


 

 

Easy to sew mouse, fish, & sausage.


 

 

Supper fuzzy mouse.


 

Adorable sushi—nigiri & futomaki.


 

 

Feather spinner toy & wand.


 

 

Felt bird, mouse, & fish.


 

Cute mice, olives, & owls.


 

Fiona Apple Cancels Tour To Be With Her Dying Dog

Fiona Apple announced in a very touching letter to her fans that she won’t be going on the South American leg of her current tour because her 14 year old pitbull, Janet, is dying and she can’t leave her.  (Janet has Addison’s Disease and a tumor.) What a remarkable statement about Apple’s relationship with and commitment to her dog.  It’s definitely worth the read.

I marvel at our urge or need to share our lives with animals of another species.  I really think it’s part of what makes us human or what makes us good human beings.  I also think the death of a pet brings a unique and particularly painful form of grief.  For me, the “language barrier” between me and my pets, meant I couldn’t know with certainty that they knew they were loved and that they were spared fear or pain at the end.  That uncertainty is brutal.

Are You Prepared For An Emergency?

  

Life has been a bit hectic here lately—car problems, washing machine in pieces, replacing a porch, & food poisoning.  Despite the craziness, our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy—the East Coast and the Caribbean, in particular.  Every disaster reminds me of how important it is to be prepared.  We live in an earthquake-prone area and we don’t have the advantage of getting any warning before something happens, but I would want to be prepared no matter where we lived.

Here are a number of posts on how you can prepare to take care of your pets in the event of an emergency.  It doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t have to be expensive, so don’t feel overwhelmed.  There is a wealth of information here and it’s the result of many hours of research consulting AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  Please share these posts with anyone who has pets, but please also give credit to Pet Project and link to my blog.

  1. What you need for a comprehensive Animal First Aid Kit, including a printable list.
  2. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Cats & Dogs, with information on everything from documents you should have to dealing with evacuation gridlock to what should be included in your kit.
  3. Guide to Emergency Preparedness for Birds, includes a prioritized list of tasks , what you need in an Avian First Aid Kit, & much more.
  4. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Reptiles & Amphibians, includes how to make a Herp First Aid Kit, how to keep your herps the proper temperature, plus a lot more.
  5. 10 Emergency Preparedness Tips you may not have considered.
  6. Animals In Emergencies, a video produced by the U.S. Army & the U.S. Department of Homeland Security