Question About Cat Toy Stuffing Safety

Most times, when I crochet cat toys (I haven’t made many yet), I use cotton thread or cotton worsted rather than acrylic. For some odd reason, I feel if my cat, or any other cat, gets the yarn soaked from sucking or chewing on it, cotton is better than acrylic.

This week, I tried a new cat toy pattern and I didn’t have any of the suggested fiber fill to use for stuffing. I wasn’t even crazy about that idea. I ended up pushing 3 large pom poms inside of it. Even then, I’m not happy with the pom poms.

Cutting a washcloth or towel for stuffing would make it too heavy a toy. Felt doesn’t make me happy, either.

I’ve been thinking about cheesecloth but that is very light weight and I’d have to use a lot, a LOT, to puff out this toy. But I could use the cheesecloth to enclose a less-safe filling, I think. So, maybe a plastic grocery bag bunched up (or tissue wrapping paper?) stuffed inside a cheesecloth pouch/bag?

Anyhow, my question, my friends…

Do you have any ideas on safe stuffing for cat toys? 

This one is about twice as wide as a common stuffed mousie toy, so beans or seeds of any sort would make it too heavy and awkward for kitties to play with it.

Feedback welcome…