DIY toy guide
Muffin Tin Foraging Puzzle
A twelve-hole tray becomes an instant food puzzle
Drop kibble into the cups of a muffin tin and cover each one with a ball — your cat has to move the obstacle to reach every mouthful.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 1 muffin or cupcake tin (6 or 12 holes)
- 6–12 balls that sit loosely in the cups — ping pong balls, felted wool balls or crumpled paper
- A portion of your cat's dry food or a few small treats
🔧 How to make it
- Wash and dry the muffin tin thoroughly. Check there are no sharp edges or rust.
- Place a few pieces of kibble or one small treat in the bottom of each cup.
- Leave two or three cups uncovered so your cat gets an easy first success and understands the game.
- Cover the remaining cups with a ball each, resting loosely on top rather than wedged in.
- Set the tin on a hard floor and let your cat investigate. Most work out within a minute or two that the balls can be batted aside.
- As your cat gets faster, cover every cup and use balls that sit slightly deeper in the hole to raise the difficulty.
💡 Tips
Use part of your cat's daily food allowance rather than extra treats, so the puzzle adds enrichment without adding calories. If your cat gives up, make it easier rather than waiting it out — early frustration teaches a cat that the puzzle is not worth attempting. In multi-cat homes, set out one tin per cat in separate rooms to avoid one confident cat clearing them all.
Safety: Choose balls too large to be swallowed and check them regularly for cracks or bite damage. Avoid foil, cling film or anything a cat might chew and ingest. Supervise the first few sessions.
📝 Notes
Wash the tin after every use, since kibble oils go rancid. A silicone muffin tray works just as well and is quieter on hard floors.