7 Easy DIY Pet Toys From Things at Home (Dogs & Cats)
Pet toys do not need to cost anything. Some of the best enrichment comes from cardboard, old T-shirts, and toilet rolls — things you were about to throw away. These seven toys are cheap, quick to make, and genuinely fun for dogs and cats. Supervise the first few play sessions, remove toys that start falling apart, and never leave a pet unsupervised with anything small enough to swallow.
A safety rule for every toy below: if it frays, tears, or sheds small pieces, it is finished. Replace it, don't repair it with tape or glue a pet could chew off.
1. Braided T-shirt tug toy (dogs)
Cut an old T-shirt into three long strips, knot them together at one end, braid tightly, and knot the other end. This is the classic tug toy: soft on teeth, washable, and free. Make two, so one can be in the wash while the other is in play.
2. Treat treasure toilet rolls (dogs & cats)
Fold one end of a toilet roll closed, drop in a few treats, fold the other end, and let your pet bat, roll, and shred it open. For beginners leave one end open; for experts, hide the roll inside a box. Supervise to make sure paper is shredded, not swallowed in large pieces.
3. Sock catnip kicker (cats)
Fill a clean old sock with a pinch of dried catnip (or silvervine) and a little stuffing or crumpled paper, then knot the end. Cats grab, kick, and bunny-kick these for ages. Refresh the catnip every few weeks — old catnip loses its magic.
4. Cardboard scratcher box (cats)
Cut corrugated cardboard into strips, pack them tightly into a shallow box, and you have a scratcher cats actually use. Sprinkle catnip on top the first time. Place it near where your cat already scratches — location matters more than design.
5. Muffin tin puzzle (dogs & cats)
Put a treat in each cup of a muffin tin and cover the cups with tennis balls (dogs) or ping-pong balls (cats). Your pet must nose or paw each ball away to find the treat. Start with only two or three covered cups so the game is winnable.
6. Frozen broth ice blocks (dogs)
Freeze low-sodium broth with a few treats and blueberries in a silicone mould or small container. Give it outdoors or on a washable mat — it is messy, and that is the point. Frozen enrichment lasts far longer than a regular treat and cools dogs down on warm days.
7. Feather wand from string and paper (cats)
Tie strips of paper or a small fabric scrap to a length of string on a stick, and drag it along the ground in short, prey-like bursts — never dangle it over a cat's head. End every wand session with a treat "catch" so the hunt feels complete. Put wand toys away after play; string left out is a swallowing risk.
Rotate, don't accumulate
Keep two or three DIY toys in play and the rest in a cupboard, rotating weekly. A toy that disappears for two weeks feels brand new when it returns. And pair toys with other enrichment: a snuffle search after a tug session, a quiet chew after a puzzle, a nap in a cosy spot after play.
DIY toys work best alongside a good home setup: see our DIY cat bed ideas for the perfect post-play rest spot and our leash-training guide for using tug toys as walk rewards.
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