DIY toy guide
Ice-Cube Tray Treat Puzzle
A spare ice-cube tray becomes a simple slow-forage puzzle
Scatter a few treats or biscuits across the wells of an ice-cube tray and your cat has to fish each one out paw by paw — an instant, no-cost puzzle feeder that slows fast eaters.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 2 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- A clean plastic or silicone ice-cube tray
- A small handful of your cat's biscuits or favourite treats
- A larger toy or ball to place over some wells for extra challenge (optional)
🔧 How to make it
- Rinse and thoroughly dry a spare ice-cube tray so no smells or moisture remain.
- Drop one or two biscuits or treats into some of the individual wells, leaving others empty.
- For a harder version, rest a ball or large toy over a few of the filled wells so your cat must move it aside.
- Set the tray on the floor and let your cat paw, nose and fish the treats out one by one.
- Wash the tray between uses and vary which wells are filled so the puzzle stays fresh.
💡 Tips
The narrow wells force your cat to use single-paw dexterity, which is mentally tiring and satisfying. Start with treats sitting proud of the wells so early wins build confidence, then bury them deeper as your cat gets the idea.
Safety: Use a sturdy, undamaged tray with no cracked or chewable edges, and supervise cats that like to bite plastic. Remove the tray once the treats are gone so it does not become a chew toy.
📝 Notes
It reuses something almost every kitchen already owns, costs nothing, and turns a portion of the daily food ration into a foraging game that slows down gulpers and busies bored indoor cats.