The picture above shows what happens when my Ozzy gets his catnip! I've been making catnip toys for many years, for my own cats, as well as my friends and relative's cats. I grow the catnip in my garden and use no chemicals or pesticides. Catnip is a pretty tough plant and is in the mint family. It benefits from frequent harvesting. Bees and other beneficial insects flock to the tiny white flowers in the summer. Bright yellow finches and other birds love the tiny seeds, and help to spread the plant around. I had a good season this year and just brought in my final harvest for the season. I should be able to create quite a few toys with what I've harvested since summer. Many people have told me I should sell my catnip toys, so I finally decided to do so. I have plenty of proof that cats love these toys! My best friend says her cats are still playing with the toys I gave them 4 years ago. My boys still play with their toys as well. My cousin's cats actually ripped through the rest of the Christmas presents to get at theirs! I told her to give them the toys when she got home, but she forgot and left them with the rest of the presents. When she went downstairs the next morning, the place was trashed and each cat had one of the toys (luckily nothing got broken). So cats definitely like these toys! The knit ones are usually made holding 2 strands of yarn together and are knit in a tight garter stitch, then stuffed with at least 1/3 of the body filled with catnip and the rest filled with fleece scraps. These toys are very tough and durable, and can take a serious thrashing. My Cedric is especially vicious, but his toys are still in one piece. I also make felt toys which are securely sewn together and filled in the same manner. Many of the toys have braided yarn tails, or knit tentacles, like the octopus. I've had many years to figure out just what different cats like, and I design these toys with that in mind. All of these are created with my own patterns. I'll make as many as I can until I run out of catnip. I'll only use my own catnip because I know that it was organically grown and I also know it's very potent! Below are some of the toys available right now, but I'll be adding more as I complete them, so be sure to check back often!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters
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