DIY toy guide
Cardboard Tube Treat Tree
A vertical bundle of tubes that hides treats at different heights
Glue a cluster of empty toilet or kitchen-roll tubes upright inside a box to make a honeycomb 'tree', then tuck treats down the tubes for your cat to fish out.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 6 to 10 empty cardboard tubes (toilet or kitchen roll)
- A shallow cardboard box or box lid as a base
- Non-toxic paper glue or a little tape
- Treats or kibble
🔧 How to make it
- Stand the cardboard tubes upright and pack them together side by side inside the shallow box so they support each other like a honeycomb.
- Dab a little non-toxic glue between the tubes and to the base to hold them in place, and let it dry fully.
- Drop treats or kibble down into some of the tubes — vary which ones each time.
- Set the tree on the floor and let your cat sniff, paw and dip a leg into the tubes to retrieve the treats.
- For a harder version, loosely crumple a small ball of paper on top of some treats so your cat has to remove it first.
💡 Tips
- Cut some tubes shorter than others so treats sit at different depths and heights.
- Let glue dry completely before use so there is nothing sticky or wet for your cat to lick.
- Place it against a wall at first so it does not tip while your cat learns the game.
Safety: Use only non-toxic glue and let it dry fully. Supervise play, and swap the tree out once tubes get crushed or chewed so pieces are not swallowed.
📝 Notes
A satisfying way to reuse the cardboard tubes that pile up at home, and easy to rebuild whenever it gets battered.