DIY toy guide

Cereal-Box Forage Flaps

A flat cereal box with cut flaps hides treats under lift-up doors

An empty cereal or cracker box laid flat, with rows of little flaps cut into the top, becomes a lift-and-find foraging board — your cat noses each flap open to discover which ones hide a treat.

Difficulty
Easy
Time
15 minutes
Cost
Free

🧺 You will need

  • An empty cereal, cracker or similar flat cardboard box
  • A craft knife or scissors (for the adult)
  • A handful of dry treats or biscuits

🔧 How to make it

  1. Flatten the box slightly and tape the open end shut so it forms a closed, flat tray.
  2. On the top face, cut three-sided flaps in a grid — like little trap-doors that lift up but stay attached on one edge.
  3. Lift each flap and post a treat into some of the compartments, leaving others empty.
  4. Press the flaps back down and set the board on the floor.
  5. Let your cat sniff along the surface and paw the flaps open to find the hidden treats.

💡 Tips

The uncertainty of not knowing which flaps hide food is exactly what makes this so absorbing — it turns a snack into a scent-led treasure hunt that exercises a cat’s nose and problem-solving. Bait only some flaps so your cat has to keep searching, and reload with a different pattern each time.

Safety: Keep an eye on enthusiastic shredders, as this is an interactive foraging game rather than a chew toy, and clear away any cardboard that gets torn off. Use plain, untreated cardboard and avoid any box with a waxy or plastic lining that could be swallowed.

📝 Notes

Every empty cereal box becomes a fresh puzzle, so it costs nothing and can be remade whenever the old one wears out. Start with shallow, easy flaps for a beginner and make them stiffer or add more decoy flaps as your cat becomes an expert forager.

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