DIY toy guide
Felt Mouse with Crinkle Tail
Sew a simple felt mouse stuffed with catnip and a strip of crinkly wrapper
A palm-sized felt mouse stuffed with polyester filling, dried catnip and a scrap of crinkly cellophane makes an irresistible throw-and-pounce toy — the crinkle mimics rustling prey and the catnip does the rest.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 25 minutes
- Cost
- Under 2 units of currency
🧺 You will need
- Two small mouse-shaped pieces of felt
- A little polyester toy filling
- A pinch of dried catnip
- A short strip of clean crinkly cellophane or a cut-down crisp-packet liner, washed and dried
- Needle and strong thread; a scrap of felt or cord for the tail
🔧 How to make it
- Cut two matching mouse shapes from the felt.
- Stitch a length of felt or cord between the layers at the back end to form a tail.
- Sew the two shapes together around the edge, leaving a small gap.
- Stuff with filling, a pinch of catnip and the strip of crinkle material, then sew the gap closed securely.
- Tug-test every seam and the tail before giving it to your cat.
💡 Tips
- Use tight, small stitches — cats chew and wrestle toys, and loose seams spill stuffing.
- Refresh the scent by rubbing the mouse with fresh catnip when interest fades.
Safety: Keep stitching secure and supervise early play; if the toy starts to come apart, take it away so filling, catnip strips or thread cannot be swallowed. Avoid glued-on eyes or beads that could be chewed off.
📝 Notes
The combination of a soft body to grip and kick, a tail to flick and catch, and a crinkle that rustles like real prey engages sight, sound and touch at once, making this a far more convincing "hunt" than a plain stuffed toy.