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MadCatLady's Avatar
Catsey Junior
 
Cats owned: 1x Sphynx, 2x DLH, 5x DSH
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Posts: 186
16-02-2010, 05:43 AM   #1

Money saving behaviour aids.....


Hello Guys!!

Just thought I'd let all you catsey clan know about some money saving ideas I have started using with my Fab Feline Tribe!!

If you are anything like me you go to certain stores and spend a small fortune on the creatures and leaving yourself short.... You do it so they are entertained and don't end up costing you more money repairing & cleaning your furniture and coz we love them of course...

So start saving the following:
  • Cardboard kitchen roll holders
  • Large flat box the type fruit is sold in @ the supermarket
  • Cardboard toilet roll holders
  • Tissue boxes (the type with a soft plastic bit around the pulling out hole are best but any work)
  • Corks
  • Buttons (the larger the better)
  • Christmas cracker plastic rings, hair decorations & the larger toys
  • Larger, chewable keyrings ( the sort you get sent free thru the post & don't want!
  • Ping pong or golf balls
  • Ribbon
  • Bottle tops (plastic, metal, milk whatever!)

Easiest one is the tissue box toy, simply get some of their fav treats, the ribbons, corks, balls and the buttons thread on string or ribbon and pack the tissue box full of stuff, making sure @ least one treat is near the top, stand the tissue box in the larger flat box and sit back & watch... Once they realise treats come out as well as toys they will be there for hours!!!

The kitchen/toilet roll holders take a bit more effort but not much, get the tubes and in some of them cut holes approx the size of a milk bottle top. Securely glue these tubes together in a vague pyramid shape making sure any holes are roughly a lined with each other. Thread buttons onto ribbon and weave this in & out of the tubes securing ends to top & bottom of pyramid, glue pyramid to flat fruit box for weight. Then place fav cat treats towards back of tubes & hide several of these sculptures in different places around the house. Puss will soon find them and spend ages reaching in & teasing the treats out only to keep losing them into different tubes thru the holes and getting them caught on the buttons attached to the ribbon... if you wanna be really mean, block off different tubes from one end so they have to run round the other side to retrieve the fallen treat!!
It's so easy to make these things and funny to watch them struggle with the puzzles. Will post foto of Sullivan the Balds solution to one of them soon!



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angieh's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Magnificent moggies
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hampshire, UK
Posts: 21,718
16-02-2010, 11:05 AM   #2

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


I love those ideas MCL! I'm starting collecting today - and not for the usual recycling bin! Thanks.

Looking forward to your photos!



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Mags's Avatar
Global Moderator
 
Cats owned: NA
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: South-West,UK
Posts: 37,618
16-02-2010, 03:52 PM   #3

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


Great ideas MCL!



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angieh's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Magnificent moggies
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hampshire, UK
Posts: 21,718
16-02-2010, 03:57 PM   #4

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


I'm wondering whether my two would have the perseverance necessary for the pyramid model!



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Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: All black and white and tortie's
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: United kingdom
Posts: 2,228
16-02-2010, 04:02 PM   #5

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


Mine love carboard boxes. I can get them when i want them because i live near a shop and they always ask me.



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Shelley123's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: NA
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Preston UK
Posts: 6,977
16-02-2010, 04:31 PM   #6

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


The toys sound great MCL, will have to try the tissue box.
Our two love playing with a scrunched up crisp packet.



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Aquatic's Avatar
Catsey Senior
 
Cats owned: Felix
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Wales
Posts: 390
16-02-2010, 09:56 PM   #7

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


That's a really good idea i would never have thought of that haha!
I'm going to have a go at making that so I'm going to start collecting.
Thanks for sharing this with us xD



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CathyW's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: sadly 1 boy now :(
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: in the land of make believe LOL
Posts: 3,963
18-02-2010, 09:03 AM   #8

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


other than being total cat nip addicts mine dont play with toys so much (too much beneath them) i have some cat nip spray so i go n squit mousy every so often and let them get on with it. but your ideas would be great for a friend of mine shes got 2 kittens.



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MadCatLady's Avatar
Catsey Junior
 
Cats owned: 1x Sphynx, 2x DLH, 5x DSH
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Posts: 186
04-04-2010, 01:25 AM   #9

Re: Money saving behaviour aids.....


Am bumping coz i was wondering how you guys have got on making 'free' toys??? Any fotos yet?



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