DIY toy guide
Paper-Fan Flutter Teaser
A crinkly folded-paper fan on a wand that flutters like a bird's wing
Fold a sheet of paper into a concertina fan, tie it to a stick, and you have a fluttering, crackling teaser that mimics the erratic wing-beat of a bird — one of the most irresistible movements you can offer a cat.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 1 sheet of plain or scrap paper (avoid glossy printed pages with heavy ink)
- A stick, chopstick or length of dowel
- A short length of string
- Sticky tape
🔧 How to make it
- Fold the paper back and forth in narrow concertina pleats to make a fan shape.
- Pinch and tape one end so the fan holds together while the other end spreads open.
- Tie the string firmly around the taped end, then tie or tape the other end of the string to your stick.
- Twitch and dab the fan across the floor and through the air in short, unpredictable movements — let it flutter down like a falling bird rather than dragging it steadily.
- Finish the game by letting your cat pin and 'catch' the fan so the hunt ends in a satisfying capture.
💡 Tips
- Short, jerky pauses trigger the hunting drive far better than constant motion — make the fan stop, twitch, then dart away.
- Make a few spares; the paper eventually gets shredded, which is half the fun.
Safety: Supervise play and put the teaser away afterwards, as with any string toy — a cat should never be left alone with string, which is dangerous if swallowed. Retire the fan once it is chewed down to pieces small enough to swallow.
📝 Notes
This costs nothing and takes two minutes, yet the combination of crackle, flutter and unpredictable falling movement makes it one of the most reliably exciting home-made teasers — a great way to give an under-stimulated indoor cat a proper hunt.