DIY toy guide
Berry-Punnet Forage Puzzle
Turn a plastic fruit basket into a treat maze
A washed plastic berry punnet, with its ready-made grid of holes, becomes an instant foraging puzzle your cat has to paw and fish treats out of.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 min
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 1 clean plastic berry or cherry-tomato punnet with ventilation holes
- A handful of your cat's treats or a portion of kibble
- A few clean scrunched paper balls (optional)
🔧 How to make it
- Wash and thoroughly dry an empty berry punnet, checking there are no sharp edges where it was opened.
- Drop a scattering of treats or kibble through the top so they settle in the base and against the sides.
- Add a couple of scrunched paper balls on top so your cat has to move them aside to reach the food.
- Set the punnet on the floor and let your cat sniff, paw and tip it to work the treats out through the holes.
- Rinse and reuse, varying how much you hide to keep it interesting.
💡 Tips
- Trim any rough edges smooth with scissors before the first use.
- Start with the lid off and treats easy to reach, then close the lid for a harder version.
- Punnets are free with the shopping, so simply recycle and replace one that gets chewed.
Safety: Supervise a cat that likes to bite plastic, and take the puzzle away if it starts to crack or shed pieces. Make sure any holes are big enough for a paw but not so large a cat could trap a claw.
📝 Notes
This is the quickest possible enrichment upgrade for a household that buys punnet fruit — no building, no cost, and a satisfying little hunt that slows down a fast eater. Everything wipes clean and goes back in the recycling when it wears out.