DIY toy guide
Felt Fish Catnip Kicker
A fish-shaped kicker toy for grabbing, bunny-kicking and wrestling
A long, fish-shaped felt pouch stuffed with catnip is the perfect size for a cat to clutch in the front paws and bunny-kick with the back legs — a satisfying outlet for the wrestle-and-kick instinct.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 30 min
- Cost
- £2 or less
🧺 You will need
- Two fish-shaped pieces of felt, around 15–20 cm long
- Polyester toy stuffing or scraps of clean fabric
- 1–2 tsp dried catnip
- Needle and strong thread, or a sewing machine
- Scissors and a marker
🔧 How to make it
- Draw a simple, elongated fish outline on the felt and cut out two matching pieces.
- Place the pieces together and sew around the edge with small, close stitches, leaving a gap of a few centimetres along one side.
- Turn the fish the right way out if you sewed it inside-out, then fill it firmly with stuffing, mixing the dried catnip through the middle.
- Stitch the gap closed securely, going over the seam twice so no stuffing or catnip can escape.
- Give it a gentle squeeze to release the catnip scent and toss it to your cat to test the grab-and-kick.
💡 Tips
- Make it long and firm rather than round — the shape is what invites the back-leg kick.
- Refresh a tired kicker by unpicking a few stitches and topping up the catnip.
- Sew a second one so there is always a spare while the first is being washed.
Safety: Use tight, doubled stitching and no glued-on eyes, beads or buttons that could be chewed off and swallowed. Check the toy regularly and retire it as soon as a seam starts to open or the felt wears thin, since loose stuffing is a swallowing and choking hazard. Supervise cats that habitually chew and swallow fabric.
📝 Notes
A firm, body-length kicker lets a cat act out the capture-and-dispatch part of hunting — clutching prey to the chest and raking it with the powerful back legs — which is brilliant for burning energy and redirecting rough play away from your hands and ankles. The catnip inside adds an extra draw for cats that respond to it.