The shape of this mousie has been so successful with my cats they actually beg for them to be finished. Okay, so probably they can smell the catnip and know that I am making something for them, but Otis was not averse to reaching out and snatching the mousie from my hand even as I was finishing it up!

I once presented a half dozen of these mousies, in assorted colors, to a friend who had numerous cats. I lined them up on a piece of tissue in a small, recycled candy box. She opened the box for them and let them each choose their own mousie.

These are fun, quick, easy and inexpensive to make and a great use for odd scraps of yarn leftover from other projects. Gauge is not important. Just be sure the yarn is sturdy and work tightly so you will have a dense fabric - otherwise your “parlor panthers” will have the mousie destroyed in minutes.

I have seen hand made mousies like these for sale at pet shops and at my vet. They would also be a welcome donation to a shelter.