Homemade Puzzles Archives - Food Puzzles for Cats

Cardboard Cat Craft Creations (a food puzzle and more!) –

A toilet paper roll food puzzle.

A food puzzle for every budget! You can do so much with toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls.

Left: a one holed food puzzle. You can make it as easy as you'd like with as many holes as needed.

Right: a catnip dispenser! Cats can forage for other things beside food. Catnip scratch and sniff paper can be used or poke many teeny-tiny holes to dispense loose catnip, valerian, or silvervine!

A foraging catnip dispenser.

Make it a foraging pinata!

You can easily turn these cardboard tubes into foraging pinata's that hang and dangle from doorways.

Simply poke a hole in the tube and run a thick piece of cotton string through and tie a knot. Fold in the ends. Make as many openings as desired to dispense the food and boom! A homemade foraging pinata! Hang and let your cats enjoy.

Cardboard Cat Crafts!

Just a few other fun ideas with TP rolls! Why not?

Some kitties enjoy these even without food!

Cheese Crate Foraging Box

This DIY food puzzle is basically a homemade version of the Peek-A-Prize box, only more challenging because it has fewer openings.

Start by placing cardboard inside to create a flat bottom. Expand holes as needed to accommodate your cat's paws. Then place food and toys inside for an easy DIY foraging game!

If you wish to increase the challenge further, simply fill small food puzzles such as the ping-pong balls or mini eggs by Fundamentally Feline for an even greater challenge! The more balls and mice inserted into the box creates more obstacles for your cat to navigate around while attempting to acquire the food.

You can make a food puzzle for your cat out of virtually anything!

First, a cardboard "floor" is inserted.

Add smaller food puzzles to increase the challenge.

The more obstacles the greater the difficulty.

Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!

Gettin’ Tipsy! Plastic beer bottle food puzzle.

Gettin' Tipsy!

Who knew? Apparently Bud Light is available in plastic bottles! What that means is that when you party, so do your cats!

When someone brought these to a gathering they quickly became a must have item, just so that they could be made into a foraging toy! Now, when you entertain, you can also have foraging toys out for your cats to use to further entertain your guests. Hilarious conversation piece!

"No. no. I'm totally still awake!"

Only one hole makes this puzzle more difficult.

DIY Fun Board!

Once again, there's no need to dig deep into your wallet to provide your cat with mental stimulation and food-puzzle-fun! Here's a great video showing a simple but versatile fun board - plus cute footage of two cats using it!!!

Recycled box = difficult DIY puzzle

1. Poke hole in a cardboard box.

This is a ridiculously easy puzzle to make and it happens to be disposable and recyclable so it's great option for shelters.

Square objects, as a rule, are quite difficult. It is not recommended to frustrate your cat so please only offer this style toy if you cat is up for the challenge.

Weights, other small cat toys and smaller food puzzles can all be placed inside to increase the challenge.

2. Fill with deliciousness and offer box to cat.

3. Commence with foraging.

4. Happy and challenged cat.

Parker vs Tupperware

This video just goes to show how incredibly easy it is to DIY your own food puzzle. Quick, simple, and inexpensive!

@nashtrashkitty on Instagram gets DIY

Do you do Instagram? I guess we should more often! Just found someone cool to follow! Alyssa is a designer and cat-mom who does a cool website, featuring some of her DIY projects, including a homemade food puzzle that can be made a little more challenging with some cardboard! Check her website out at www.thisisalyssa.com or on Instagram at @nashtrashkitty

And she uses perhaps my favorite hashtag ever:

#userexperienceforcats

Ice, Ice Baby!

It really can be this easy to get your cat started!

Some cats are very slow starters and need to be gradually eased into the concept of working for their food. Some families also cannot afford the fancy stationary foraging boards not knowing if their cat will take to using them. This is our compromise! An ice cube tray is incredibly easy and often free or at least inexpensive if you do not already have them sitting around the house. Once your cat has developed the skills to scoop the food out of the little wells with their paw, investing in a more intricate foraging board will not seem so risky.

**This can easily be used for canned food too!

Pretty, functional, and DIY BABY!

blue This beautiful blue food puzzle is a rolling tube made with a 3-D printer. The dimensions of the puzzle and holes can be changed to suit your cat's needs, diet, and challenge level! (Right now it's set to "Science Diet size"). You can download the files HERE.

Fumbleboards and Fummel boxes OH MY!

fumble This is a fantastic webpage inspired by Helena Dbalý's wonderful book, Playtime for Cats. The page is in German, but I used Google Translate to get the gist of the ideas! First idea: DIY multi-puzzle foraging boards, incorporating toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, bowls, and cups to inspire foraging behavior in your cat. Once you get the idea, you are only limited by your own recycling bin and creativity!

Second idea: letting your cat dig for treats in a bowl of wine corks, paper balls, wooden blocks, or other safe objects!