Easy DIY Catnip Toy

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My younger son, Caleb, has autism. When he was three-years-old, he stopped talking. For almost a year, he used a crude form of sign language to communicate with us. We tried several ways to get him to talk, but he wouldn't give us so much as a grunt. About a year after he lost his voice, we went to the Columbus Zoo. As we walked along looking at the animals, he was so excited but he never spoke a word. On our way home, we were all talking about our favorite parts of the day when we heard "Animals!" come from the back seat. We all got quiet and asked him to say it again. He smiled and said it again. My baby found his words again! Believe me when I say that this child loves animals.

When he was six-years-old, he became obsessed with cats. He would read non-fiction books about cat breeds and their characteristics and recite them back to us in full detail. He decided that a Siamese cat would make the perfect pet, and he wanted nothing more than his own Siamese for his birthday. We had recently lost a cat, so I wanted to adopt another one soon anyway. We have a strict family rule that our dogs and cats have to be rescued, so I thought it would be a while until we found him a Siamese. Within a week, I found a Siamese mix that was in need of a good home, and those two are the best of friends now. She lays at his feet or on his desk while he's homeschooling, and if he's not at home, she's sleeping on his bed. He takes great care of her by himself, and she gives him the love and support that he needs. I will do anything to keep Chloe happy and healthy. Keep reading to see how Caleb and I make her favorite toy, a handmade catnip toy.

Caleb and Chloe are best friends. She's a playful, active, and very curious. Just like Caleb! That's why I feed her Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food. With Muse you don’t have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse.

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Purina Muse Natural Cat Food is only available at PetSmart. I found it in the natural food aisle with a big display sign. Muse is 100 percent complete and balanced for adult cats, so I am confident feeding it to Chloe.

She loves Muse so much that the only sign that she ate is some crumbs on her placemat! Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee.

Being part Siamese, Chloe is very playful. She especially loves her catnip toys, so Caleb and I make them for her. I'm not a seamstress, but this is so easy that even I can do it. In fact, Caleb can make them all by himself!

You'll need:

Catnip
Batting (I've reused the filler from stuffed animals or pillows that had seen better days. Just fluff it up before you fill the toy.)
Fabric (I used new fabric for this tutorial, but I've used t-shirts that had a hole in them or other scrap fabric.)
Needle
Thread

Directions

I used a long rectangle so I only had to sew three sides. Mine was about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. You can make yours whatever size you want. Chloe likes bigger toys so she can lay on them, but some cats want a smaller toy to carry around.

With right sides together, sew around the edges, but leave a one to two inch gap so you can turn the fabric inside out. I doubled my thread, but I used fairly wide stitches. Chloe doesn't play rough, so they still hold up great.

Then fill it about half way with batting. You'll want to pull it apart to get it really fluffy. Add about a teaspoon of catnip to the toy if you made a small toy. I used a tablespoon of organic catnip for her large toy, and she loves it. Finish filling with batting and sew the hole closed.