Fun Ideas for Pet Toys

Looking for cute and fun ways to put together a toy for your cat or dog? Create simple toys and posts that will keep your pets entertained for hours! Complete toys for all kinds and sizes of dogs and cats with our wide selection of natural ropes that won't be harmful to your furry friends even when they consume parts of frayed material.

Dogs

Simple Rope Toy:

Items needed – 1/2 to 3/4-inch cotton rope (best for smaller dogs), 1 1/2-inch rope (best for larger dogs), scissors, and electrical tape (preferred but not necessary)

1. First, unravel the three strands (or the number of strands that make up the rope). You will need to undo about 6-8 inches for a rope that has a diameter of 1/2 inch. Smaller ropes will need less unraveled and larger rope will need more in order to make the knot.

2. You might want to tape the ends of each strand with electrical tape to prevent fray while making the knot, but it’s not needed.

3. In order to make a Matthew Knot, you will take the first strand and make a small loop before going around the rope and back up through that small loop.

4. Leaving the first knot open, the same thing will be done with the second strand, making sure to go through the second strands loop and the knot formed by the first strand.

5. The third strand will also go around the rope, and then through the first and second knot as well as the third strands loop. If your rope has more strands, you will continue this process until all strands have been through all of the previous knots.

6. Next, you need to tighten the knot by pulling each of the strands a small amount at a time. If one strand is pulled too hard, it can mess up the knot, same if they are all pulled at the same time.

7. You can then trim the ends of the strands and fray the rope by combing or brushing through it.

8. Cut the rope to the length you want it plus an additional 6 or so inches for tying the second knot.

9. Repeat steps 1 through 7 again to do the other side of the rope.

Your dog can play tug of war or have a fun new chew toy to play with. Even if your puppy is going through their teething phase, there’s no worries of the cotton rope causing harm to their system.

Tennis Ball Tug o' War

Items needed - 1/2 to 3/4-inch cotton rope, two tennis balls, and scissors

1. Take the two tennis balls and make a hole on the top and bottom that is large enough to put the rope through.

2. After the holes are made, run one end of the rope through one of the tennis balls, and tie a knot at the end so the ball will not come off the rope.

3. The same thing will be done to the other end of the rope by putting it through the other tennis ball.

The following step is optional:

4. A handle can be created to have to tug o' war ends for your dog to choose from. This is done by finding the middle of the rope and creating a loop to twist into a knot.

Cats

Chasing Ball:

Items needed – Wood Glue or Strong Epoxy (i.e. E-6000), Sisal or Cotton Rope (1/4 – 5/16-inch diameter or preferred size), and Wooden Ball (1 inch or preferred size, but not too small due to risk of a choking hazard)

1. Coat the top half of the wooden ball with the glue/epoxy.

2. Begin wrapping the sisal around the coated part of the wooden ball by coiling it at the top before wrapping it around the sides.

3. Coat the bottom half of the wooden ball with the glue/epoxy.

4. Finish wrapping sisal around the rest of the ball and coil the rope around the bottom, so that the wooden ball is completely covered.

Now your kitten/cat has a new toy to chase after and play with!

Scratching Post:

Items needed – Wood Glue or Strong Epoxy (i.e. E-6000), Sisal Rope (3/8 inch is the best option), and some kind of post (i.e. cardboard poster tube, wooden post, traffic cone, or even the legs of a stool)

1. Cover the object of choice in glue. (Note: You can cover one part at a time with glue if it dries too fast.)

2. Start winding the rope around the object making sure there’s no open spaces.

3. Once the object is completely covered, let it dry for at least 24 hours before giving it to your pet. (Note: Letting it dry outdoors is preferred in order to minimize the fumes from the glue.)

This is a great toy for cats who like to scratch furniture around the house, and for kittens who have a lot of energy!

If you want to add color to your rope and cord, check out our "Safe and Natural Dyeing Methods" post to find ways that are guaranteed to not harm your pets. Now you can create simple and easy toys that can be colorful and fun for your cats, dogs, or other animals.

Comment down below if you’ve created pet toys for your pets, or if you’ve tried any of these techniques!