DIY toy guide
Pizza-Box Forage Maze
A clean takeaway box becomes a slow-feed treasure hunt
Cardboard tubes and cups arranged inside a clean pizza box turn a flat carton into a maze your cat has to paw and nose through to reach scattered kibble or treats.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 20 min
- Cost
- £0 (upcycled)
🧺 You will need
- One clean, grease-free pizza box (or similar large flat cardboard box)
- A handful of cardboard tubes, small paper cups or egg-box cups
- Non-toxic glue or tape
- Your cat's kibble or favourite dry treats
🔧 How to make it
- Wipe out a clean pizza box and cut off or fold back the lid so the base forms an open tray.
- Stand cardboard tubes upright and lay others on their sides inside the box, gluing or taping them down to make a jumble of wells and channels.
- Add a few paper or egg-box cups among the tubes to create extra hiding pockets of different depths.
- Scatter and tuck kibble or treats down into the tubes and cups so your cat can see and smell them but has to work to fish them out.
- Set the maze on the floor and let your cat paw, reach and nose the food free at its own pace.
💡 Tips
- Start with shallow, easy hiding spots and make them deeper as your cat gets the hang of it.
- Use part of the daily food ration so the treats don't add extra calories.
- Rearrange the tubes each time to keep the puzzle fresh.
Safety: Choose a box that is clean and free of grease, cheese and toppings, since cooked cheese and many pizza ingredients such as onion and garlic are unsafe for cats. Replace the box once it becomes soggy or chewed, and supervise cats that tend to eat cardboard.
📝 Notes
Foraging puzzles like this tap into a cat's natural drive to hunt and work for food, slowing down fast eaters and turning a bowl of kibble into satisfying mental exercise. A pizza box is the perfect ready-made frame — wide, shallow and free.