DIY toy guide
Cardboard Drawer Treat Puzzle
A pull-out puzzle box that makes your cat work a little for every treat
Turn one sturdy box into a bank of little pull-out drawers your cat has to hook open with a paw. It is foraging enrichment that slows down fast eaters and gives clever, bored cats a proper problem to solve.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free — uses a spare cardboard box
🧺 You will need
- 1 sturdy cardboard box (a shoebox or small parcel box)
- 3–4 smaller boxes or cardboard trays that slide inside as 'drawers'
- Non-toxic glue or paper tape
- Scissors or a craft knife (for the adult only)
- A few of your cat's favourite treats or kibble
🔧 How to make it
- Stand the main box on its side so the opening faces out like a cabinet.
- Size the smaller boxes so they slide in and out of the opening as loose drawers.
- Cut a small finger-sized hole in the front face of each drawer so a paw can hook it.
- Slot the drawers into the main box, leaving them slightly open at first.
- Drop a treat into each drawer and let your cat discover it.
- Once they get the idea, push the drawers further in so they have to pull each one open.
💡 Tips
- Start easy with drawers half-open, then increase the challenge as your cat learns.
- Rotate which drawers are baited so the puzzle stays unpredictable.
- Use part of your cat's daily food rather than extra treats to avoid overfeeding.
Safety: Remove any staples, tape with sharp edges or glossy printed panels, and supervise cats that like to chew and swallow cardboard. Replace the box once it gets soggy or shredded.
📝 Notes
This is a classic 'food puzzle' in disposable form — the same slow-foraging principle behind shop-bought puzzle feeders, but free and easy to rebuild whenever it wears out.
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