DIY toy guide
Washing-Line Teaser Run
A length of string strung across a doorway becomes a dangling teaser trail
A short line tied across a doorway at cat height, hung with a few light fabric scraps, creates a swaying teaser run your cat can leap at and swat as they pass — an easy way to add movement to a dull corridor.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Cost
- Free
🧺 You will need
- A length of sturdy cotton string or shoelace
- Two or three lightweight fabric scraps or felt shapes
- A doorway or two fixed points to tie between
🔧 How to make it
- Tie the string securely across a doorway, low enough for your cat to reach when it dips.
- Knot two or three light fabric scraps along the line so they dangle and sway.
- Give the line a gentle push to show your cat how the danglers move.
- Let your cat leap up, swat and chase the swaying scraps.
- Take the line down and store it after play so it is never left unsupervised.
💡 Tips
Hang the danglers at slightly different heights to encourage stretching and jumping. A light breeze from an open window will keep the scraps moving on their own, turning it into gentle self-play.
Safety: Only put the line up during supervised play and take it down afterwards — loose string is a serious swallowing and strangulation risk if a cat is left alone with it. Use short scraps too large to gulp down.
📝 Notes
It costs nothing and takes moments to rig from odds and ends, yet it turns an ordinary doorway into an inviting play zone. Move it to different doorways to keep the novelty fresh.