Catnip Butterfly Cat Toys

Bob testing a pile of butterfly catnip toys. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Catnip Butterfly Cat Toys

When you live in a family that has dogs and cats, pet toys are on the gift list. For many years, I have made our family catnip toys with freshly-dried catnip from my garden and inspiration for the design from the garden as well.

Last year, my handmade felt catnip toy gifts were butterflies. I was inspired by working on Missouri’s Master Pollinator Steward program, a six-week course designed to help people interested in helping pollinators such as butterflies.

To make butterfly catnip toys, the design is simple. The toy needs the wings and a place to add the catnip.

Basic buttterfly catnip toy pattern made out of felt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Different-colored butterfly pieces ready to sew. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Stitch the black portion on three sides and leave one side open to easily stuff the dried catnip.

Add catnip to the center piece once it’s stitched on three sides. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These are so easy to make. Once stuffed, stitch the last side shut. Don’t stuff them too full, you just need enough to give the black center a little pouf or rise.

Here they are all finished and ready for a test.

Store finished catnip toys in plastic away from inquisitive paws. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

My family gift catnip toys are thoroughly tested by my cats. Actually I have to store them in plastic and place them on the top shelf of a cabinet to keep my cats from volunteering to test them.

Uh-oh, Bob looks like he wants ALL of them! (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Fun to see the handmade catnip butterfly cat toys unpacked but Bob was not supposed to get all of them!

Charlotte