Free Crochet Cat Toy Patterns + Video Tutorial

Looking to spoil your favorite feline with something handmade? These free crochet cat toy patterns are purr-fect for adding a splash of fun to your kitty’s day! Whether your cat loves to pounce, bat, or cuddle, this 4-in-1 toy collection has something to keep every whiskered friend entertained. Best of all, each pattern is beginner-friendly and works up quickly with just a small amount of yarn.

Jump into the free crochet cat toy patterns now, or pin them for later here!

Why You’ll Love the Free Crochet Cat Toy Patterns

Quick, stash-busting project
Great for gifting or selling
No-sew, beginner pattern.
Full video tutorials for all 4 toys!

This crochet pattern is reader supported by ads on my blog. If you’d rather print the pattern for some cozy couch crocheting, you can find the ad-free, printable PDF in my shop here or on Ravelry here.

In this post, I’m sharing not just one, but FOUR adorable little cat toy patterns. These include a fish, a mouse, an octopus and a jellyfish. I’ve created video tutorials for each of these patterns as well. The video tutorials are fully complete and include pop-up instructions round by round as well. You can find those videos here:

So grab your scrap yarn, your favorite hook, and let’s get stitching!

Policies & Disclaimers:

This crochet pattern is for PERSONAL USE ONLY. This pattern or parts of it may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, published, altered, translated, posted or shared without authorization. You can sell your finished items provided that you credit Off the Beaten Hook as the designer using this verbiage, “This pattern was designed by Lindsey Roe and Off the Beaten Hook.” Thank you for your respectfulness!

This post contains affiliate links for materials I use and love. If you purchase something using one of these links I may earn a small commission which in no way affects the cost to you. These partnerships help me support my small business which allows me to provide you with free crochet patterns. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!

🌿 Eco-Friendly Crafting

What makes this crochet pattern eco-friendly and sustainable?

THE YARN: I use only sustainable and eco-friendly yarn that has been ethically grown/raised and processed, putting the people and the planet first. This is why I chose 100% natural yarn for this pattern.

HANDMADE FOR LONGEVITY: Creating your own cat toys promotes mindful consumption. This handmade cat toy reduces the need for mass-produced alternatives.

THE SLOW YARN MOVEMENT: I’m participating in the Slow Yarn Movement. There’s far too much to talk about here, but please take a few minutes to learn about what this means by reading the article I wrote about the Slow Yarn Movement as part of my 6-part Sustainable Crochet Series.

If you’re interested in learning more about sustainable crochet you can read all about it in the 6-part series I wrote covering everything about Sustainable Crochet and how to implement it into your own crafting starting today!

Free Crochet Cat Toy Patterns Guide:

Size & Gauge:

Size: Fish: 2.25″ | Mouse: 2.5″ | Octopus: 3.5″ | Jellyfish: 3″

Gauge: N/A

Materials you will need:

Yarn:

Rico Ricorumi Spin Spin | 100% Cotton | 3/DK/Light Worsted | 126y (115m)/ball

Classic Rainbow: x1 ball (more if you’re making several)
I used 2 balls total to make 3 of each toy (12 toys total)

If you would like to explore other yarn options, here are some that would work well for this pattern:

Deramores Studio Organic Cotton DK | 100% Organic Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted
Stylecraft Naturals Organic Cotton | 100% Organic Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted
Rico Essentials Organic Cotton DK | 100% Organic Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted
Rowan Handknit Cotton | 100% Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted
Rowan Summerlite DK | 100% Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted
Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK | 100% Cotton | Weight: 3/Light Worsted

Other tools and materials needed:

Crochet Hook Size: 3.00 mm
Tapestry Needle (bent tips make all the difference!)
Stitch Markers
Scissors
Stuffing
Optional: cat nip

Abbreviations used in these Free Crochet Cat Toy Patterns:

This pattern is written in English, using US terms. If needed, you can find a handy term conversion chart right here in my Resource Library.

ch – chain
st – stitch
hk – hook
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
mc – magic circle / magic ring
sc – single crochet
hdc – half double crochet
dc – double crochet
tr – treble crochet
FLO – front loop only
BLO – back loop only
inc – increase
dec – decrease
(…) x – repeat instructions indicated number of times
[…] – number of stitches in row/round
PH – photo reference number

🧺 Tips for Making Crochet Cat Toys

Yarn: Stick with DK or worsted-weight cotton or natural yarn—something durable, washable, and tightly spun.
Stuffing: Use fiberfill or yarn scraps. You can add a bit of dried catnip for extra excitement!
Safety: Avoid buttons or loose parts. Embroider details instead to keep it safe for biting and batting.

The Free Crochet Cat Toy Patterns:

FISH

NOTES:

The fish is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
If needed, refer to the video tutorial here for step-by-step help

Rnd 1:	st 6 sc in a magic circle	[6]
Rnd 2:	(sc 1, inc) x3	[9]
Rnd 3:	(sc 2, inc) x3	[12]
Rnd 4:	(sc 3, inc) x3	[15]
Rnd 5:	sc around	[15]
Rnd 6:	(sc 4, inc) x3	[18]
Rnd 7:	(sc 5, inc) x3	[21]
Rnd 8-10:	sc around	[21]
-Embroider eyes in an “x” shape over Rnd 5 -Embroider the small gill over 2 stitches between Rnds 7 & 8 -Embroider the large gill over 4 stitches between Rnds 8 & 9 -Stuff fish
Rnd 11:	(sc 5, dec) x3	[18]

Rnd 12:	(sc 4, dec) x3	[15]
Rnd 13:	(sc 3, dec) x3	[12]
Stuff fish
Rnd 14:	(sc 2, dec) x3	[9]
Rnd 15:	inc in each st around	[18]
Rnd 16:	inc in each st around	[36]
Sl st to next st to fasten off and snip, leaving a long tail. Pinch the tail closed at Rnd 14 & 15. Using a tapestry needle on the yarn tail, work the need through a stitch on the inside of Rnd 16 and 15 to bring it down to Rnd 14. Sew the tail closed by passing your tapestry needle back and forth between Rnds 14 & 15 along the pinch. Bring your yarn to the inside and snip.

MOUSE

NOTES:

The mouse is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round
If needed, refer to the video tutorial here for step-by-step help

Rnd 1:	st 6 sc in a magic circle	[6]
Rnd 2:	(sc 1, inc) x3	[9]
Rnd 3:	(sc 2, inc) x3	[12]
Rnd 4:	(sc 3, inc) x3	[15]
Rnd 5:	sc around	[15]
Rnd 6:	(sc 4, inc) x3	[18]
Rnd 7:	sc in next 6 st, all in the FLO of next st (sl st, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sl st), sc in next 4 st, all in the FLO of next st (sl st, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sl st), sc in next 6 st	[18]
Rnd 8:	(sc 5, inc) x3	[21]
Embroider eyes over Rnd 4, lined up with the ears and spaced by 3 st in between them

Rnd 9:	(sc 6, inc) x3	[24]
Rnd 10-13:	sc around	[24]
Rnd 14:	(sc 6, dec) x3	[21]
Rnd 15:	(sc 5, dec) x3	[18]
Stuff mouse
Rnd 16:	(sc 4, dec) x3	[15]
Rnd 17:	(sc 3, dec) x3	[12]
Stuff mouse
Rnd 18:	dec around	[6]
Snip leaving a 6 inch tail and pull the tail through the 2 loops of your final st. Using the yarn tail on a tapestry needle, weave the needle through the front loops only of the remaining 6 st. Pull tightly to close. Leave the yarn tail as the mouse tail. Trim as desired.

OCTOPUS

NOTES:

The octopus is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round unless otherwise indicated
If needed, refer to the video tutorial here for step-by-step help

Rnd 1:	st 6 sc in a magic circle	[6]
Rnd 2:	inc in each st around	[12]
Rnd 3:	(sc 1, inc) x6	[18]
Rnd 4:	(sc 2, inc) x6	[24]
Rnd 5:	(sc 3, inc) x6	[30]
Rnd 6-10:	sc around	[30]
Rnd 11:	(sc 3, dec) x6	[24]
Rnd 12:	sl st around	[24]
Embroider eyes between Rnds 9 & 10
Rnd 13:	(sl st in FLO of Rnd 11, ch 25, beginning in the 2^nd ch from the hk, inc in each ch back down to the head, sl st to same st as first sl st of Rnd, FLO sc in next 2 st) x8

Rnd 14:	(sc 2, dec) x6	[18]
Stuff octopus
Rnd 15:	(sc 1, dec) x6	[12]
Stuff octopus
Rnd 16:	dec around	[6]
Snip leaving a long tail and pull the tail through the 2 loops of your final st. Using the yarn tail on a tapestry needle, weave the needle through the front loops only of the remaining 6 st. Pull tightly to close. Bring yarn to inside.

JELLYFISH

NOTES:

The jellyfish is worked in continuous rounds – do not join after each round unless otherwise indicated
If needed, refer to the video tutorial here for step-by-step help

Rnd 1:	st 6 sc in a magic circle	[6]
Rnd 2:	inc in each st around	[12]
Rnd 3:	(sc 1, inc) x6	[18]
Rnd 4:	(sc 2, inc) x6	[24]
Rnd 5:	(sc 3, inc) x6	[30]
Rnd 6-10:	sc around	[30]
Rnd 11:	(FLO sc in next st, all in FLO of next st: hdc+dc+hdc, FLO sc in next st) x10, sl st to first st
Rnd 12:	BLO of Rnd 10 (sc 3, dec) x6	[24]
Rnd 13:	(sl st in FLO of next st, ch 15, beginning in the 2^nd ch from the hk, inc in each ch back down to the head, sl st to same st as first sl st of Rnd, FLO sc in next 2 st) x8

Rnd 14:	in the BLO of Rnd 12: (sc 2, dec) x6	[18]
Stuff jellyfish
Rnd 15:	(sc 1, dec) x6	[12]
Stuff jellyfish
Rnd 16:	dec around	[6]
Snip leaving a long tail and pull the tail through the 2 loops of your final st. Using the yarn tail on a tapestry needle, weave the needle through the front loops only of the remaining 6 st. Pull tightly to close. Bring yarn to inside.

Cat Toy Mouse Crochet Pattern Video Tutorial:

Show Off Your Work! ✨

I can’t wait to see your adorable crochet cat toy patterns! Be sure to tag me on social media @offthebeatenhook or use the hashtag #offthebeatenhook so I can admire your makes. ❤️