Homemade Catnip Mice Toys to Please Any Feline

February 27th, 2010

Author: Jessie Pennbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Catnip is absolutely irresistible to cats, and toys filled with dried leaves from this delicious and intoxicating plant are loved by many of our furry friends.

Although most cats appear to be in a drunken or drugged state when they sniff or chew on toys filled with catnip, it is not a drug. Catnip is a herb that belongs to the mint family. When the catnip leaves are broken, a certain chemical is released that most cats respond to in an irresistible way.

Of course, cats, being the individual free-spirits that they are, do not all respond or react to the effects of catnip in the same way. Some sniff it and just saunter away showing no interest at all. But, most cats get one whiff of catnip and fall madly in love with the intoxicating scent. Some will roll around on the toy, others chew and lick the fabric, and most often an entertaining show that often follows. The ingredient in catnip that causes cats to go berserk is called Nepetalactone. A cats five senses (touch, smell, sight, sound and taste) reacts to this chemical in an abundance of ways.

Fortunately, catnip is completely safe and not addictive to cats. The most amusing aspect of catnip is watching your cats behavior changes. But, as with most everything, too much of a good thing can produce a bout with diarrhea, however, this is rare.

Cats love homegrown catnip better than the processed catnip that is in most of the toys offered in pet stores. Cat toys filled with dried leaves from a wild catnip plant or from plants that grow your in your garden or patio plant pots will, undoubtedly, be the favorite gift in your felines Christmas stocking.

Start by cutting branches from the catnip plant, tie with a cord and hang upside down in a dry, ventilated place, such as a back porch or warm sunny room. When the leaves dry you will be able to crumble the leaves into bowl that will resemble crumbled, fallen leaves.

Several fabrics are suitable to hold the dried catnip securely, but personally, I prefer to use muslin or flannel. Cut two oval shapes (about 3-4 inches in length and 3 inches in width) from the fabric. You dont need to have both ovals cut exactly the same size, as you need to allow for some slack to produce a rounded shape when filling it with catnip. Sew around the three sides of the oval, and fill the cavity with the dried catnip. Then finish sewing the opening closed.

A piece of yarn (about 2-3 inches in length) can be sewn on one end of the filled oval for a tail. Dental floss or heavy string can be used to create mouse whiskers at the opposite end of the oval. Thread the floss or cord through the opening of a darning needle. Pull the needle and cord through the end that you want to use for the mouse head, leaving about 2 inches of the cord on either side of the mouse. Tie a know at the sides of the mouse nose to hold the cord in place. Trim the cord to whatever length suits you to serve as the whiskers. Two or three cord whiskers is sufficient.

Sew on buttons, or make a satin stitch with embroidery floss to create the eyes. If you want, you can cut rounded three-sided shapes from felt and sew that to the top of the area that will be the head of the mouse. You can embroider a nose with a satin stitch.

The little catnip stuffed oval will resemble a mouse, and is sure to be the most valued toy of your cat or kitten. Dont be surprised if in a short time, the mouse becomes flat. You cat will chew and lick the toy, and the catnip leaves will break down further and become powder-like inside the oval. However, even though the oval might be flat, chewed, or soiled, it will remain the favorite delight of your cat.

Of course, you dont need to go to a lot of bother to please your cat. Your furry friend will enjoy simple small squares filled with catnip.

Homegrown catnip and homemade cat toys are more potent than pre-packaged catnip toys. Homemade toys will give off a stronger catnip scent that will be adored for many months to come.

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Successful School Fundraising With Custom-Made Plush Toys

February 26th, 2010

Author: Rob E Bishopbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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When it comes to fundraising, your academy has done it all: popcorn, candy, cookbooks, wrapping paper, cookie dough…the account is endless. Now youre analytic for something different to add to your sales arsenal. Custom-built costly toys are versatile, artistic articles youll be appreciative to sell!

Why Should You Accept Plush?

When you accept a fundraising product, youre allotment an account that represents your school. You ambition it to be high-quality and attractive. A blimp toy replica of your schools amulet appeals to your customers affecting affiliation to your school, through homesickness or academy spirit. And youre not bound to a mascot. Your costly toy can yield the anatomy of sports equipment, agreeable instruments, a academy bus, cafeteria box-let your acuteness run wild! A costly baby is actual ambrosial to children, which broadens your abeyant chump abject above the adults fundraisers about target. It aswell attracts attention. You may accept had the acquaintance of alpha your sales attack appropriate afterwards addition academy or alignment finishes affairs the aforementioned artefact or, worse, award yourself aggressive with the aforementioned artefact during the aforementioned sales period. If you advertise an aboriginal blimp toy, youll angle out amidst the competition. Youll aswell acquisition that your toy lends itself to all kinds of sales opportunities above the acceptable two-week campaign. Unlike added sales products, it will never go dried or out of style.

Fundraising With Your Custom-Made Costly Toy

Youll ambition to cover your custom costly toy in your acceptable fundraiser. But dont stop there. Many organizations accept several sales campaigns per year. No amount what you accept to sell-candy, magazines, pies-include your toy as an added item. Advertise it at sports events, if academy spirit is high. Offer it for auction at carnivals, festivals, and programs if parents, grandparents, and adolescent accouchement attend. Keep a accumulation on duke at your schools accumulation store, and if your accumulation sells flowers or added items for appropriate days, cover your toy as addition option. You may ambition to affix the gain from your toy sales to a appropriate scholarship armamentarium or academy advance activity to animate sales. Addition abeyant use for your toy is as a sales allurement during your fundraiser, or as a cost for apprentice achievement. Be abiding to amount your toy so that its enticingly affordable, while still accouterment a profit.

Choosing Your Costly Toy

First, anticipate about what you ambition your toy to be. Pick a architecture thats simple and that absolutely represents your academy or organization. If analytic for a aggregation to accomplish your product, attending for a aggregation that will plan carefully with you during the architecture process, and which provides a arcade of examples agnate to what you ambition your accomplished toy to attending like. Ensure your toy will be fabricated with safe, abiding abstracts and superior craftsmanship. Always analysis aggregation references. Select a business with a abundant acceptability for believability and chump service, as youll hopefully accept a acknowledged alive accord with them for years to come.

Raise academy spirit and fundraising profits with a unique, adorable custom-built costly toy!

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pRob E Bishop invites you to bring your stuffed toy invention idea to his website at a target=_new href=http://www.customplushtoys.com/ rel=nofollowCustomPlushToys.com/a where you can learn how to design, create and sell your own stuffed toy idea. Download his free report Dont Get Ripped Off to discover the secrets of how to navigate the dangers in making your toy idea successful./ppa target=_new href=http://www.customplushtoys.com/freecd-page.shtml rel=nofollowClick Here/a./pbr
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