Welcome to the third post in our new series, Enriching Your Cat’s Life. Today we are going to discuss inexpensive ideas to create an enriched environment for your cat.

Enriching your cat’s space not only makes them happy, but it can also reduce stress and eliminate behavior problems. There are some very nice products available to cat parents, many of which can be on the expensive side. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enrich your cat’s life, though. I have some fun, easy ideas that are cheap or free! 

Six Budget-Friendly Enrichment Ideas for Your Cat

Muffin Tin Food Puzzle

Give your cat’s brain a workout and fulfill their natural instinct to hunt for their food at the same time. 

Note: Lola The Rescued Cat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The materials you need are a muffin tray, treats or kibble, and a few of your cat’s toys.

Place a few treats or pieces of kibble in some of the muffin cups, and fill the tray with some of your cat's toys. Set the tray down and let your cat go hunting! 

Paper Products

If you order from Chewy or Amazon, you have free enrichment materials right at your fingertips. Before you take that box and paper packaging out to the recycling bin, think twice. Placing the box on the floor instantly creates something new and exciting for them to explore and nap in. Try putting the box in a private place, like a corner, so your cat can have a new hiding place.

Our friends Alli and Max of The Kit Kats love playing with the packing paper from their Chewy orders. Throw some of the paper down on the floor so your cat can have hours of fun. Allie and Max say "Chewy Crinkle Paper = pawesome fun!" 

Lola and Lexy's friends Alli and Max of the Kit Kats. 

A paper bag can give your cat a fun place to play and hide in. (Make sure you remove any handles so your cat doesn't injure themselves by getting stuck in them.)

Cat Carriers

That's right, I said cat carriers. Keeping the carrier out gives your cat a nice, cave-like hiding place. (This can also get your cat better acclimated to the carrier which can reduce stress during vet visits.) 

If the door is removable, you can take it off if it makes your cat more comfortable. 

Teach Your Cat a Trick

Teaching your cat a trick is a fun way to interact and spend more time with them. Many years ago I taught my cat to fetch, and it was a game we enjoyed for a long time together. Jackson Galaxy has a few tips to get you started. 

I taught Lexy to do a high five, and she's very proud of it. (She is not proud, however, of the poor quality of the video! We're still learning.) 

Lola and Lexy's pal, Summer, has a few tips about training your cat outdoors (on a leash and harness, of course!) 

Make Your Own Cat Toys

Pipe Cleaner Corkscrew Toy

Wrap a pipe cleaner around different sized pens or markers to make a corkscrew toy. (Make sure to bend the ends in because they could be sharp if you don't.) 

Toilet Paper Roll Fringe Toy

This couldn't be easier. Cut approximately one-inch strips into the toilet paper roll all around the tube on both ends to make fringe. Fan out the fringe and you've made a very cute toy your cat can bat around. 

Crinkle Sock Toy

This toy is super easy. All you need is a sock and some wrapping or packaging paper. Fill the sock with paper, tie a knot, and voilà! Your cat has a new crinkle toy. 

I sprinkled some catnip on the sock so Lexy could have a new catnip kicker. A better idea would have been to put some catnip inside the sock. I'll remember that next time.

Catnip Marinade

If your cat's catnip toys have lost their potency, make a catnip marinade. I put some of the girls' favorite toys in a jar with some catnip and let it sit for a day or two. It was like giving Lexy brand new toys. 

Wand Toy

I made a simple wand toy with pipe cleaners and a piece of paper. I made a fan out of the paper and wrapped a pipe cleaner around it. Then I attached a few more pipe cleaners to make it longer and I was done. 

Shaker Toy

How cute is this shaker toy? 

To make it, bend in the ends of a toilet paper roll to look like cat ears. Place a couple of bells inside, bend the other end in, and tape both ends closed. Decorate it with a cute cat face, or another drawing, and that's it! 

Bird TV

There are tons of videos on Youtube for cats. Lola enjoys TV time with me at night, but she much prefers her bird TV. 

Do a search for bird videos for cats to watch, wildlife videos for cats to watch, and squirrel videos for cats to watch, and your cat will have hours of TV fun. I've started leaving the videos on in the living room during the day while I'm working in another room in the apartment. 

These are just a few ideas you can implement in your house. There are literally hundreds of things you can make or do that are cheap or free, especially if you're handy with a glue gun or can sew. The things I did with Lola and Lexy prove that you don't have to be a crafting queen to make your home fun for your cat. In the sources section below I will leave links to several sites that have many enrichment ideas. 

Pin Us!

I hope you enjoyed our "Enriching Your Cat's Life" series. If you've missed any of the previous installments, make sure to read How to Create a Cat Friendly Home and Six Tips to Excite Your Bored Cat. 

What do you do to make an enriching environment for your cat? Share your ideas in the comments. 

Dawn

Sources: 

KITTYCLYSM

Catster

Care.com

Cattime

Cat Friendly Homes

ASPCA

World's Best Cat Litter