DIY toy guide
Spinning Bottle Treat Feeder
A bottle on a stick that spills kibble as your cat spins it
Thread a dry plastic bottle onto a rod suspended between two chairs, cut a few holes, and watch treats tumble out as your cat bats the bottle round and round.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- 25 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- A clean, dry plastic drinks bottle with the label removed
- A wooden dowel, bamboo skewer or sturdy stick longer than the gap between two chairs
- Two chairs of equal height
- Scissors or a craft knife (for adult use only)
- Kibble or small dry treats
🔧 How to make it
- Cut a few holes around the middle of the bottle, each slightly larger than a piece of kibble.
- Make a hole through the centre of the bottle's base and through the middle of the lid, then thread the dowel all the way through so the bottle can spin freely on it.
- Rest the ends of the dowel on the seats or backs of two chairs of equal height so the bottle hangs in the gap between them.
- Part-fill the bottle with kibble through one of the holes or by briefly removing the lid.
- Encourage your cat to bat the bottle so it spins and drops a few pieces of food at a time onto the floor below.
💡 Tips
- Start with larger holes so food falls easily, then make new bottles with smaller holes to increase the challenge.
- Place a mat underneath to catch the kibble and keep the game tidy.
- Make sure the dowel is steady and the chairs stable before letting your cat play.
Safety: An adult should do the cutting and check the bottle for sharp edges. Never leave the plastic bottle with an unsupervised cat that chews plastic, and discard the bottle if it cracks or splits.
📝 Notes
A homemade take on the shop-bought treat-dispensing wobblers, built from a recycled bottle and a stick.