DIY toy guide
Toilet-Roll Treat Dispenser Cube
Turn empty cardboard tubes into a free puzzle feeder
Pack a small box with upright cardboard tubes and scatter kibble down inside them, so your cat has to fish each piece out with a paw — a free, five-minute puzzle feeder from your recycling.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free — saved cardboard tubes and a box
🧺 You will need
- A shallow cardboard box or box lid
- 6–10 empty toilet-roll or kitchen-roll tubes (cut taller ones in half)
- A handful of your cat's usual dry food or treats
🔧 How to make it
- Stand the tubes upright and packed tightly together inside the box so they cannot tip over.
- Trim any that stick up much higher than the rest so the tops sit roughly level.
- Drop a few pieces of kibble down into each tube.
- Set it on the floor and let your cat work the food out with nose and paws.
- Start with wide tubes and a shallow drop, then make it harder as they get the idea.
💡 Tips
- If your cat loses interest, make it easier at first — food should come out on the first few tries so they stay motivated.
- Mix a couple of empty tubes in among the baited ones once your cat is confident, to keep them guessing.
- Swap in fresh tubes when they get chewed or soggy.
Safety: Supervise the first few sessions and remove any cardboard your cat starts to shred and swallow rather than just paw at. Take away staples, tape or glossy printed card.
📝 Notes
Puzzle feeders tap into a cat's natural urge to work for food. Slowing a fast eater and giving an indoor cat a job to do helps with both digestion and boredom — and this one costs nothing.