DIY toy guide
Pipe-Cleaner Spring Toy
A featherweight, bouncy spring cats bat clear across the room
Wind a single pipe cleaner into a springy coil to make a light, skittery toy that cats love to bat, chase and carry — one of the quickest homemade toys there is.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 2 minutes
- Cost
- Almost free
🧺 You will need
- One fuzzy pipe cleaner (chenille stem)
- A pen, pencil or your finger to wind it around
🔧 How to make it
- Wrap the pipe cleaner tightly around a pen or pencil, leaving a little at each end.
- Slide the coil off to reveal a springy spiral.
- Bend the two ends inwards and tuck them into the coil so no sharp wire is exposed.
- Give it a gentle stretch so it springs and bounces, then toss it for your cat to chase.
- Check it over regularly and replace it if the wire starts to poke through.
💡 Tips
The magic is in how light and lively it is — flick it across a hard floor and it skitters and bounces unpredictably, just like real prey. Make a few in different colours and keep a small stash for when your cat wants a quick game.
Safety: Make sure the sharp wire ends are fully tucked away, and only offer this as a supervised, interactive toy — pipe cleaners contain thin wire that could hurt a cat if chewed apart or swallowed. Put it away safely between play sessions and bin it at the first sign of the wire showing.
📝 Notes
Because they cost almost nothing and take seconds to make, pipe-cleaner springs are a great toy to have on hand — but they are a play-together toy, not one to leave lying around with an unsupervised chewer.