DIY toy guide
Clothes-Peg Puzzle Board
A foraging board of wooden pegs that hide treats between them
Wooden clothes pegs clipped in rows around a piece of stiff cardboard create a forest of gaps and nooks where treats can be tucked, giving paws and whiskers a gentle puzzle to solve.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Low
🧺 You will need
- A piece of stiff cardboard or an old chopping board
- 8–12 wooden clothes pegs (no springs loose)
- A little of your cat's dry food or treats
🔧 How to make it
- Clip the wooden pegs in tight rows along the edges and across the board so they stand upright.
- Check every peg is firmly attached and none can be pulled off easily.
- Tuck small treats into the gaps between the pegs and under the peg heads.
- Show your cat a treat going in so they understand the game.
- Let your cat nose and paw between the pegs to fish the food out.
💡 Tips
Space the pegs further apart for a beginner and pack them closer for a trickier hunt. The uneven surface encourages careful, deliberate pawing, which is calming and mentally tiring in the best way.
Safety: Use plain wooden pegs rather than plastic ones that can crack into sharp pieces, and supervise chewers. Retire any peg that loosens or splinters, and keep the whole board away from cats that try to eat wood.
📝 Notes
A quick, low-cost board you can rearrange endlessly. Reset it with fresh treats whenever your cat fancies a new challenge.