DIY toy guide
Rolled Towel Snuffle Mat
A rolled bath towel that hides food in its folds
Scatter kibble along a towel, roll it loosely, and let your cat nose and paw through the layers — a two-minute stand-in for a shop-bought snuffle mat.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- 1 clean bath towel or small fleece blanket
- A portion of your cat's dry food or a few small treats
- A hard floor with room to work
🔧 How to make it
- Lay the towel out flat on the floor.
- Scatter kibble evenly across the whole surface, spreading it out rather than piling it in one place.
- Roll the towel up loosely from one long edge, keeping it slack so the food stays trapped between the layers but the roll can be nosed open.
- For a harder version, fold the towel in a concertina before rolling, or tie a loose knot in the middle.
- Place the roll on the floor and let your cat find it. Most cats start with their nose and quickly move on to pulling with a paw.
- Unroll and reload as often as you like — the whole thing takes under a minute once you have the knack.
💡 Tips
Start with a very loose roll so the first attempt succeeds quickly, then tighten it as your cat gains confidence. This works especially well for cats that bolt their food, since the towel forces them to eat a few pieces at a time. It also gives a nervous cat something absorbing to do during stressful events such as building work or fireworks.
Safety: Use a towel with no loose threads, and supervise cats that chew fabric — anything ingested can cause an intestinal blockage. Never use this activity with a known wool-sucker or fabric-eater.
📝 Notes
Wash the towel regularly. Replace it once it becomes frayed, and keep it as a dedicated food towel rather than one you also use for drying the cat.