DIY toy guide
Concertina Cardboard Fan Scratcher
Folded corrugated cardboard that springs into a self-standing scratch fan
Score a long strip of corrugated cardboard, fold it concertina-style and bind the ends, and it opens into a springy fan of exposed cardboard edges — exactly the vertical-and-angled surface cats love to shred.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 45 min
- Cost
- £0
🧺 You will need
- Several large sheets of corrugated cardboard from old boxes
- A ruler, a blunt knife or scissors for scoring, and a pen
- Strong string or a couple of sturdy rubber bands
- Optional: a little catnip
🔧 How to make it
- Cut the cardboard into several long strips of equal height, keeping the corrugation running vertically so the open flutes face outward.
- Score parallel fold lines every few centimetres along each strip, alternating the score from front and back so it will fold in a zig-zag.
- Concertina each strip along the scores into a tight fan, then join strips end to end to make one long folded band.
- Gather the band into a fan or circle and bind the base or ends firmly with string or rubber bands so it holds its shape.
- Stand it on the floor or wedge it in a corner so the exposed cardboard edges face the cat.
- Sprinkle a pinch of catnip into the folds to draw your cat in for its first scratch.
💡 Tips
Cats are drawn to the rough, shreddable ends of corrugated cardboard, which is why bought cardboard scratchers cost real money — this makes the same thing from packaging you would recycle anyway. The concertina shape lets a cat scratch both the flat sides and the exposed edges.
Safety: Bind it tightly enough that it cannot collapse or spring apart during vigorous scratching, and avoid cardboard with staples, tape residue, glossy print or plastic coatings. Sweep up shredded bits regularly, as cardboard is for scratching, not eating.
📝 Notes
It costs nothing, takes minutes, and can simply be recycled and remade when it wears out — a genuinely disposable scratcher that saves both money and the sofa.