DIY toy guide
Umbrella-Rib Feather Teaser
Rescue the flexible ribs from a broken umbrella into a springy wand toy
The thin, springy ribs of a broken umbrella make a superb flexible wand — light, whippy and bouncy in a way a rigid stick never is. Strip one out, add a feather or fabric lure on a short string, and you have a teaser that darts and springs like live prey.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Low
🧺 You will need
- One flexible rib salvaged from a broken umbrella
- A short length of strong string or cord
- A feather, fabric scrap or felt lure
- Tape or strong glue
- Pliers and scissors
🔧 How to make it
- Carefully detach a single rib from a broken umbrella with pliers, and snip off any sharp barbs or connectors left on the ends.
- Cover both ends of the rib thoroughly with tape so nothing is sharp, leaving a smooth handle at one end.
- Tie a short length of string firmly to the thin tip of the rib.
- Fasten a feather or a knotted fabric scrap to the loose end of the string and secure the knot with a dab of glue.
- Flick and bob the springy rib so the lure darts, drops and bounces, and let your cat chase and pounce.
💡 Tips
- Keep the string short so the lure cannot wrap around your cat's legs.
- Let your cat catch the lure regularly so the hunt ends in a satisfying win, then put the toy away between sessions.
Safety: Cap every cut metal end with tape or glue so no sharp point is exposed, and only ever use this as an interactive wand under your supervision — never leave a string toy out for a cat to play with alone, as swallowed string is a serious hazard.
📝 Notes
The natural spring of an umbrella rib makes the lure move unpredictably, triggering the stalk, chase and pounce sequence far more convincingly than a stiff wand and giving indoor cats a genuine outlet for their hunting drive.