DIY toy guide

Homemade Catnip-Tea Refresh Spray

A simple brewed catnip 'tea' in a spray bottle that brings tired old toys and scratchers back to life

Toys lose their pull once the catnip inside fades. Instead of buying more, brew your own catnip spray: a strong infusion of dried catnip in hot water, cooled and decanted into a spray bottle, revives a neglected scratcher, freshens a worn kicker, or makes a new bed suddenly worth sleeping in.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
20 minutes (plus cooling)
Cost
£0–2 (dried catnip)

🧺 You will need

  • 2–3 tbsp good-quality dried catnip
  • About 250 ml just-boiled water
  • A heatproof jug or mug
  • A fine sieve or a piece of muslin
  • A clean, empty spray bottle

🔧 How to make it

  1. Put the dried catnip in a heatproof jug and pour the just-boiled water over it.
  2. Cover and leave it to steep for 15–20 minutes, the longer the stronger, until you have a fragrant green 'tea'.
  3. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin, pressing the leaves to squeeze out every drop, and discard the spent catnip.
  4. Let the infusion cool completely, then pour it into a clean spray bottle.
  5. Mist a light spritz onto scratchers, toys, beds or cardboard, let it dry, and watch a bored cat rediscover them.

💡 Tips

Freshly brewed always beats faded shop-bought spray, and you control the strength. Store the bottle in the fridge and use it within about a week, giving it a shake before each use. Use it to make a new scratching post or carrier more inviting, or to lure a cat away from furniture and onto something it is allowed to shred. Around a third of cats simply do not respond to catnip — for them, try a silvervine or valerian infusion instead.

Safety: Catnip is safe and non-addictive, but keep it as an occasional treat — a cat that overindulges can get briefly over-excited or, rarely, a little queasy. Use plain water only, with nothing added: no essential oils, which are toxic to cats. Make sure sprayed items are fully dry before your cat uses them so nothing is licked while wet, and keep the spray away from a cat's face and eyes. Skip catnip altogether for pregnant cats unless your vet says otherwise, and never spray food bowls.

📝 Notes

One of the cheapest ways to get months more life out of the toys you already own — a jar of dried catnip and a spray bottle turn 'my cat ignores everything I buy' into a five-minute refresh you can repeat whenever the magic wears off.

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