craftgrrl | WTF: styrofoam pellets; Question about cat toys (Reply)

I have the flu (the real deal, not the 24-hour stomach kind) and am on all sorts of meds, so I'm rather scatter-brained and clueless at the moment--not to mention housebound.

Anyhow, I want to make some draft dodgers (door snakes) because our doorways (and those at my friends' houses) are rather drafty. I have one. It's filled with styrofoam beads/pellets. Can anyone remember where to buy these? I can't remember where we used to get them, but I know we could buy them somewhere when we needed bean bag refills (of course, I pour in packing foam curls now whenever I get a box of packed goods. Makes my beanbag nice and stuffed). Was it perhaps a furniture store?

I'd prefer to avoid WalMart. Going in makes me sick (physically) and I have some ethical reasons for shopping elsewhere. Plus my husband will have to pick this stuff up for me and he absolutely hates WalMart and won't go in unless I make him (I do have to get our eyeglasses/contacts there, along with some of our medicine).

I don't want to use anything natural, because mice can be a problem in these drafty old houses.

So, please... someone remind my fever and drug addled mind... where can I buy styrofoam beads? I know I could use polyfill or cotton lint, but I'd rather use the styrofoam for this--better insulation.

Another thing--if I make one of these for a household with (young) cats, should I definitely use batting instead of styrofoam? I'm guessing styrofoam isn't good for eating, but pellets might pass through the cat's digestive system without harm. I don't *know*, being allergic to cats and not terribly familiar with them.

If I make cat toys filled with catnip, do I need to worry about what kind of fabric I use? Is string an issue? Are the cats going to get their intestines bound up with string if they chew the fabric apart? Should it be all cotton? Should the string be all-cotton?

Thanks!