DIY toy guide
Cork-Board Wall Forage Panel
A vertical treat-hunting wall built from a cork notice board
Mount everyday containers on a cork board to make a vertical foraging wall — your cat has to reach, paw and problem-solve to fish out the treats, turning feeding into a proper mental workout.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- £4–£8
🧺 You will need
- 1 framed cork notice board
- A selection of clean small pots — yoghurt pots, egg-carton cups, toilet-roll tubes, small boxes
- Strong non-toxic glue or short screws
- Scissors
- Dry kibble or small treats
- Wall fixings suitable for your wall
🔧 How to make it
- Lay the cork board flat and arrange your pots and tubes across it at different heights and angles.
- Cut a few of the tubes at a slant and trim the pots to varying depths so some treats are easy to reach and others take real effort.
- Glue or screw each container firmly to the cork board, leaving open mouths facing outward.
- Once everything is dry, mount the board securely to the wall at your cat's standing-and-reaching height, low enough that it is safe.
- Bait the pots and tubes with a few treats each and let your cat discover the wall — show them the first pot if they need a hint.
💡 Tips
- Vary which pots you bait each day so your cat has to search rather than memorise, and rearrange the layout occasionally to keep it fresh.
- Feed part of the daily ration from the wall so it enriches mealtime without adding extra calories.
Safety: Fix the board to the wall properly so it cannot fall when a cat pulls on it, and check the containers stay firmly attached. Replace any pot that gets chewed or cracked, and supervise until you know your cat forages rather than eats the cardboard.
📝 Notes
Vertical foraging uses space most enrichment ignores and encourages stretching and balance as well as problem-solving. It is especially good for energetic indoor cats that need more of a challenge than a floor puzzle.