DIY toy guide
Beaded Ribbon Doorway Teaser
A flutter of ribbons hung in a doorway that swishes with every passing cat
A handful of fabric ribbons and felt shapes tied to a length of dowel or a tension rod turns an ordinary doorway into a swishing, batting-height play curtain your cat walks into all day long.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 30 min
- Cost
- £0–£5
🧺 You will need
- A short length of wooden dowel, a tension rod, or a sturdy stick the width of the doorway
- Several strips of soft ribbon, fleece or old T-shirt fabric, 20–40 cm long
- A few felt shapes (leaves, fish, simple bird outlines) to knot along the strips
- Scissors and, optionally, a needle and thread
- Two small hooks or a tension fit to hang the rod
🔧 How to make it
- Cut your ribbons and fabric strips to a length that dangles at your cat's shoulder-to-head height when hung — high enough not to drag on the floor.
- Tie or stitch a felt shape to the end of some of the strips so there is a satisfying weighted 'prey' to swat.
- Knot the strips evenly along the dowel or rod, spacing them a few centimetres apart so they can flutter freely.
- Fix the rod across a doorway your cat uses often, using a tension fit or two small hooks so it sits just inside the frame.
- Give the strips a swish to show your cat, and let the draught and their own movement keep it dancing.
💡 Tips
Hang it in a doorway with a little airflow so the ribbons drift on their own — a self-playing toy your cat ambushes as they pass. Rotate the felt shapes every week or two to keep it novel, and rub a little catnip into the fabric to renew interest.
Safety: Use short, securely-knotted strips and avoid loose thread, string or anything long and thin that a cat could swallow — ingested string can cause a life-threatening internal blockage. Supervise a determined chewer, and take the teaser down when you are out if your cat tends to bite and eat fabric rather than bat it.
📝 Notes
It costs almost nothing, uses up fabric scraps, and gives an indoor cat a source of low-key, self-directed play in a spot they already patrol — far better than a wand toy that only works when you are holding it.