11 Household Items You Could Be Upcycling For Your Pets

Pet parents really love their fur babies. From shiny new collars to an abundance of toys, we spend a lot on our pets. So much that, according to Capital One, it's projected that Americans will spend $150.6 billion on their pets by the end of 2024. That's quite a lot of treats and toys! While the pet industry is big business, that figure doesn't mean you need to spend hundreds on the latest pet gadget to entertain your furry friend. Instead, you probably have common household items that you can easily repurpose into pet toys and accessories. Things like a spare cardboard box, an old T-shirt past its prime, and toilet paper tubes are just what you need for easy, fun crafts, such as DIY toys or beds.

Reusing these common items isn't just practicing sustainable living, it also gives you a way to offer vital enrichment to your pet. Enrichment is important for dogs, cats, birds, and other small animals because it stimulates the mind and encourages physical activity by engaging the senses. When your cat bats around a toy, they not only have fun, but they indulge their natural prey instincts as well. Adding enrichment to animals' lives helps with boredom, stopping unwanted behaviors, and reducing stress. And when they're all worn out from playing, you can make a cushy spot for them to sleep! Take some time to look at your so-called trash and turn it into something fun and useful with these clever projects. Just remember, always supervise your pets as they play, especially with DIY toys!

Empty toilet paper rolls are classic craft materials you can transform into various projects, such as using a toilet paper roll to make a beautiful homemade DIY ornament. If you have spare rolls, use them to make a few simple toys. Cut and fringe the edges for an interesting texture for cats to enjoy as they practice attacking it around the floor. You can also stick treats inside an empty tube, and then fold down the ends. Dogs, cats, and small animals will enjoy trying to dislodge their treats from the roll. 

Your cat may already have an affinity for jumping into boxes. Well, with bottle caps and other supplies, you can turn a used cardboard box into an activity gym. Punch small holes in the top of the box, then string up the bottle caps, ping pong balls, pipe cleaners, perhaps even a jingly toy for them to swing at while they play. Because some cats tend to swallow string, never leave your cat unattended with this toy or anything that uses twine or string.

Don't toss your muffin tins if you upgrade your bakeware! Scratched and dingy muffin tins are perfect for an enrichment game. You can hide treats throughout random cups of the tin, then cover them with tennis balls, toys, or paper squares. Let your pet try to find which muffin cups have the treats, sniffing and using their paws to uncover their reward. This DIY pet game is popular with dogs, but if you use the right food (the stinkier the better) your cat will probably love it just as much. 

A worn suitcase that's seen a lot of miles can be repurposed into a plush pet bed. Measure the suitcase's interior, then find a similar-sized piece of high-density upholstery foam, such as the FoamTouch Upholstery Foam High-Density Cushion on Amazon. Cover the foam with fabric or an old sheet, then set it inside the suitcase. You may want to add a set of wooden table legs to the bed to raise it slightly, though it looks just as fabulous on the floor.

There are 22 clever ways to repurpose denim around the home or garden, but making a dog toy out of your unwanted clothes might not be on your mind. Luckily, it's easy to turn your old jeans and other denim clothing into a dog toy. Cut the denim into a series of strips. The more strips you cut, the bigger your toy will be. Wrap the strips' ends around each other, knotting them together until you have a nice Y-shaped braided toy perfect for epic tug-o-war games with your pup. 

One way to disguise a troublesome litter box is to repurpose a hutch, cabinet, or TV stand that you otherwise intend for donation. First, ensure that the furniture's interior is free of splinters that might hurt delicate paws, remove the doors, and then cut a hole in the side as a cat entrance. Customize the piece with your own creative details, such as paint or contact paper, to finish it off, then insert the litter box. After you've set everything inside, reinstall the doors.

Are you replacing your old couch with something new? If the couch covers are in decent condition, don't toss all of them. Instead, save one for an easy DIY pet bed! First, open and remove the original cushion insert, then wash the cover. To make it comfortable as a bed, you can use polyester filling and upholstery foam to add support. Once the cushion is comfortable and plush to your satisfaction, zip up the original cover, then cover it with a soft furry fabric, and secure the ends underneath the pillow.

The inevitable stray sock happens, but there are genius ways to repurpose mismatched socks in the home and garden. Those lone socks can be interactive toys with common materials. A tennis ball tied inside a tube sock makes a bouncy fetcher, while some catnip stuffed sock might make your cat go wild. Want a toy with a crinkly sound? Fill a sock with an empty plastic bottle without the label or plastic ring. After inserting the bottle into the sock, knot the ends. As with any pet toy, ensure your dog or cat only plays with this under supervision.

If you're an avid tennis player, you probably have a few old balls rattling around in your bag. Unfortunately, tennis balls feature a limited lifespan and gradually lose pressure. Eventually, you need to replace your tennis balls for bouncier options. However, dogs already enjoy tennis balls and they don't necessarily care about the bounce, so you can put the balls to new use. Cut a large slit into an old tennis ball, insert some treats, and let them try to bounce the tasty bites out all over your house.

Next time you finish a bottle of wine, save the cork to make cat toys. Cut a hole in the cork ends, then insert pipe cleaners and feathers into each hole. If you don't have any feathers handy, you can find a pack of colorful ones like the Flying Feathers 600 Piece Colorful Feathers from Amazon. The pipe cleaner can be bent into a curly "tail" while the feathers will entice your kitty to pounce, much like the pricy cat toys from the pet shop. 

Do you have a cat who seems to get into absolutely everything? Keep them entertained with a DIY puzzle box, ideal for any plastic food containers overflowing in your cabinet. You'll need a container with a matching lid for this project. You'll have to cut out two circles, which can be traced with a cup and sharpie. Add your favorite toys and treats inside the box, then put the lid back on.