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

A toilet paper roll food puzzle.
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.
A foraging catnip dispenser.
Make it a foraging pinata!
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!
Cardboard Cat Crafts!
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Just a few other fun ideas with TP rolls! Why not?
Just a few other fun ideas with TP rolls! Why not?
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Some kitties enjoy these even without food!
Some kitties enjoy these even without food!

Cheese Crate Foraging Box

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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.
First, a cardboard "floor" is inserted.
Add smaller food puzzles to increase the challenge.
Add smaller food puzzles to increase the challenge.
The more obstacles the greater the difficulty.
The more obstacles the greater the difficulty.
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Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!
Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!
Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!
Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!
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Gettin’ Tipsy! Plastic beer bottle food puzzle.

Gettin' Tipsy!
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!"
"No. no. I'm totally still awake!"
Only one hole makes this puzzle more difficult.
Only one hole makes this puzzle more difficult.
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Pretty, functional, and DIY BABY!

blueThis 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!

fumbleThis 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!

Something Outta Nothing!

This video shows Willow foraging from a protein shake container. You truly can make a food puzzle out of just about anything in your home and the goal here to show you how to do that!
It is nice to offer a variety of commercially available and homemade puzzles. Remember this is not only a feeding protocol but also mental stimulation!

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