DIY Yarn Ball For Cats

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I’ve been talking a lot lately about how I’m trying to get healthier by eating better foods and exercising more. As a pet parent I realize that it’s important for my cats to be healthier as well. I can do this by choosing more quality foods for them and giving them toys that encourage exercise.

I recently started feeding my cats IAMS™ because a lot of my friends had been sharing about the visible difference they saw in their cats. IAMS™ cat foods have a customized mix of protein and carbs which contribute to healthy energy levels. Not only that but their foods contain ingredients which promote excellent skin and coat health and also ingredients to aid in their ability to absorb nutrients. Boomer and Peaches seem to really love the food and I feel confident that I’m giving them a healthier option.

In addition to the new food, I decided to try my hand at making some cat toys for them. I thought a colorful yarn ball would be fun to make. This toy will increase their exercise levels because as it rolls around they will have to chase it around the house.

Materials needed:

  • Yarn (2 or more colors)
  • Small to Medium Sized Styrofoam Ball
  • Scissors

Directions:

Cut the yarn in to pieces about a foot long.

Take two pieces of different color yarn and tie one end together.

Continue tying pieces together one end at a time, alternating colors.

Once you have enough yarn tied together wrap part of it around the Styrofoam ball and tie it in a knot, making sure the string is tight around the Styrofoam ball.

Wrap the string around the ball, again and again, varying the direction the string is going so it zigzags across other pieces in different directions.

Continue wrapping it around the ball until you run out of string.

To finish, loop the end string under a few pieces of string on the ball and tie into a knot at the end, securing the end to another piece of string already attached to the ball.

I left some of the Styrofoam showing since my arthritis in my hands was hurting but you can add more string if you want a more complete look. You can also just use a multi-color roll of yarn to start with but I like how it looked tied together with all the pieces sticking out to encourage my cats to play with it. Boomer goes crazy when he sees a shoelace or the hem coming undone on a blanket so I knew he’d love all the knots and strings on it!

Want to start your cat on a healthier diet like I did? Try an IAMS™ diet and look for the visible difference their quality food can make. You can find IAMS™ Proactive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care Cat Food with Chicken and other IAMS™ cat food at Walmart.

Also make sure to enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win IAMS™ for a year or Walmart eGift Cards! #IAMSVisbleDifferenceSweepstakes 

 
#IAMSVisbleDifferenceSweepstakes

A healthy cat is a visibly happy cat. How do you make sure your cat is healthy and happy?

21 thoughts on “DIY Yarn Ball For Cats”

  1. What a easy and creative way to make a toy for your cat. You speak my language when you talk about easy, and also cheap. Both those things together and I still entertain my pets is a win-win in my book!

    Reply
  2. What a cute and easy toy to make! We just got a new cat earlier this year and have been feeding her IAMS since we got her – I definitely see an improvement in her coat and demeanor since we adopted her!

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  3. My cat isn’t one for toys but my dog would love playing with it. I’ve been thinking of changing my cat’s food and have heard good things about Iams.

    Reply
  4. What a great craft and way to help your kids bond with their feline fursibling! We are a total IAms family – the health of our furbabies is just as important to us as health of our human kids!

    Reply
  5. I’ve been making these yarn balls for years, for all the cats I have enjoyed. I never put them around a styrofoam ball. Even my grandson threw them all around. No longer can care for cats, but I’m sure I could find some of these balls tucked in corners of the house.

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  6. Don’t the loops pop off or get torn off? How do you keep the cat from pulling them off? I suppose a cat with claws wouldn’t have this in one piece for very long. Lol

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    • Thanks for your questions. Once the pieces were tied together in knots I just wrapped it tightly around the ball. The string may eventually come loose but it hasn’t yet since I wrapped it pretty tight. Once it comes loose I’ll just rewrap it around the ball.

      Reply

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