DIY Interactive Treat Maze For Cats
I was making lunch in my kitchen a few weeks ago when suddenly I could hear my cat playfully running around the hallway. I walked around the corner and noticed she was batting at something on the floor and hitting it around the hallway like some four legged hockey player. Upon further investigation I realized she was playing with a piece of cat food and she continued to bat it from one end of the hall to the other. We have had our sweet Penguin for about a year now and with a senior cat in the home, I had forgotten how fun and playful young cats can be. My oldest daughter and I were at the pet store the other day picking the cats out some treats when we came across a interactive treat maze for cats. My daughter insisted that we had to get it because the Penguin would absolutely love it! Being the frugal and crafty mother that I am, I took one look at that cardboard maze and determined that I could make that myself at home! And so I did…
First step is to find a box, preferably one that is flat and long. You will also need some extra cardboard to create two tunnels on the inside. I used a glue gun to secure them inside of the box.
Next you are going to want to cut of the side flaps of the box, then secure the two large flaps with a glue gun. The glue gun method is a bit tricky and time consuming, but taping it wouldn’t allow you to color on the box as well. Once your box is closed and glued shut, carve out some circle on both the top and all sides of the box.
Your final step is to decorate the box however you choose! Paint it, color it, stamp it…. whatever you want!
This turned out almost identical to the one I saw at the pet store and I could not wait to put some food in it and see how our cat Penguin would react.
I decided that the best way to introduce our cat to this new toy maze was by filling it with her favorite cat food! Ensuring that my cats have a healthy and nutritious diet is important to me, as I want them to live the healthiest life possible. IAMS™ is always my go to cat food because they offer functional food and treats by targeting your cat’s specific dietary needs (Hairball Care, Digestive Health, and Oral Care.) Their new reformulation allows cat lovers such as myself to customize our cat’s nutrition through a well balanced lifestyle with IAMS™ dry, wet and treats
My local Walmart is always stocked up on my favorite variety of IAMS™ cat food and treats at great prices!
My cat’s reaction to her new toy maze was as exciting as I had anticipated! It took her a minute to realize we had stuck her favorite cat food and treats, but just one shake of the box and she was actively trying to retrieve her treats from the box. All the kids were laughing as they watched her play, seeing her stick her head inside the holes and reaching her entire arm in… lots of giggles from the entire family!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it has encouraged you to try this for yourself! I would love to know if you created a toy maze of your own and if so, how did it turn out?
Ha-ha! Nice idea!
This is a great idea! Cats are born hunters, they love it when they have to play or struggle a bit to reach to their food.