Quick answer: Make a foraging box by filling a shoebox or delivery box with scrunched paper balls and toilet roll tubes, then hiding a few pieces of your cat's daily kibble or treats inside. Start easy, keep string, ribbon and tape out of it, supervise the first sessions and take some food from the day's allowance.
Indoor cats often have food delivered to the same bowl at the same time, with nothing to find or catch. A foraging box turns part of a meal into a short search, using a box from the recycling and five minutes of your time.
The method is simple, but a few rules matter: what goes in the box, what stays out, how much food to use and how to keep it fresh.
Why Foraging Helps a Bored Cat
International Cat Care explains that puzzle feeders and foraging have been linked in research with reducing signs of stress and contributing to weight loss, among other benefits. Its guidance on play also lists explore, search and forage play with items such as cardboard boxes and paper bags as one type of play cats enjoy.
A foraging box is the simplest version: a container, some filler and food to find. It asks the cat to use its nose and paws to find each piece, rather than simply eating from a bowl, and the game usually lasts a few minutes rather than a few seconds.
It also suits homes where a cat spends long hours alone. A box set out before you leave gives the cat something to do in the first quiet part of the day, which is often when a bored indoor cat starts looking for trouble.
Five-Minute Foraging Box Build
- Take a clean shoebox or small delivery box and remove all tape, staples and labels.
- Cut a few holes in the lid or sides, big enough for a paw.
- Scrunch plain paper into loose balls, and stand a few toilet roll tubes upright inside.
- Drop pieces of kibble or treats between the paper and into the tubes.
- Put the lid on or leave it open, depending on the level.
Use plain paper or brown packing paper rather than glossy or printed paper. Our guide to tape, ink and staples to avoid in cardboard projects has the full list.
Easy, Medium and Hard Box Set-Ups
| Level | Set-up | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Open box, food on top of loose paper | First sessions, older or nervous cats |
| Medium | Open box, food hidden in paper and tubes | Cats that solved the easy level |
| Hard | Lid on with paw holes, food deep in tubes | Confident, food-motivated cats |
Stay at each level until the cat finds the food quickly and calmly. If it walks away or paws at the box in frustration, go back a level. International Cat Care advises increasing the food given through puzzle feeders only while the cat shows no signs of stress or frustration.
The String Rules
Foraging boxes are often decorated with ribbons, strings or dangling toys. Leave those out. VCA Animal Hospitals warns that cats can swallow thread, string, yarn or dental floss, which can become a life-threatening problem.
- No string, ribbon, yarn, elastic bands or hair ties in or on the box.
- No tape left on the cardboard.
- No small plastic parts that can be swallowed.
- Wand toys with string are for supervised play only, then put away.
- Supervise the first few sessions to see how your cat plays with the paper.
If your cat chews and swallows paper, switch to a box with only tubes and food, or move to a solid puzzle feeder.
How Much Food to Use
Foraging food should come out of the cat's daily allowance, not be added to it. Measure the day's dry food in the morning and take a portion for the box. If you use treats, keep them small and few. This matters most for indoor cats that are already a little heavy. Our guide to foraging for weight management explains portion planning in more detail.
Rotating the Box
A box that is always out becomes part of the furniture. Rotation keeps the game new. Put the box out for one session, then take it away. Change the filler and the hiding spots each time, and replace the box once it is soft, torn or dirty.
International Cat Care also suggests having two or three toys on the go and rotating them, which works well with a foraging box, a ball and a wand toy in turn.
Best Times of Day for the Box
Many indoor cats are most active at dawn and dusk. A foraging box at those times, or just before you leave for work, gives a short burst of activity when the cat is most likely to want it. Put the box on a mat or in a corner where paper can be gathered up easily afterwards.
Our DIY toys and puzzle feeders hub has more builds, and the guide to indoor cat enrichment ideas covers activities beyond feeding.
Choosing the Right Box
The best box is one your cat can get its head and front paws into without the box tipping or sliding. A shoebox suits most cats; a large cat may need a wider delivery box. Very deep boxes can make food hard to reach and frustrate the cat, so cut down the sides if needed. Avoid boxes with plastic windows, foil linings or strong smells from their previous contents, and check corners for leftover staples.
A box with a lid gives you the hard level, while the base on its own works for easy and medium. Keep two or three boxes flattened in a cupboard so you always have a fresh one ready.
Fillers Beyond Paper
Once your cat knows the game, change what goes in the box. Toilet roll tubes cut into rings, plain egg box sections and crumpled brown packing paper all give different textures and sounds. Each change makes the search feel new without adding cost. Avoid filler that can be swallowed in pieces, such as foam packing peanuts, and anything with tape or labels still attached.
Some cats enjoy sniffing out food under a single layer of paper more than digging through a full box. Watch how your cat searches and adjust the filler to suit its style. Our guide to challenge levels for DIY and store puzzle feeders shows how to keep raising the difficulty.
When to Move On
Some cats master a foraging box in a day. When the hard level becomes easy, try a different container, such as an egg box, a muffin tin with balls on top or a bottle feeder. Our guides to the toilet roll puzzle feeder and the five-minute egg carton puzzle have step-by-step options.
If a cat shows no interest at all, try a different time of day, a more appealing treat or the easiest level. Some cats prefer chasing to searching, and a short wand session before the box can help.
Keep notes on what your cat enjoys. After a few weeks you will know which filler, which level and which time of day give the best response, and the box can become a reliable part of the routine.
Households with more than one cat need one box per cat, set out in different places, so a confident cat does not take all the food. Feed shy cats in a quieter room where they can search without being watched.
DIY Foraging Box Questions
How do I make a foraging box for my cat?
Remove tape and staples from a shoebox, cut a few paw-sized holes, fill it with scrunched plain paper and upright toilet roll tubes, then hide some of your cat's daily kibble or treats inside. Start with the food easy to find and make it harder as your cat improves.
Is string safe in a cat foraging box?
No. VCA warns that cats can swallow thread, string, yarn or dental floss, which can be life-threatening. Keep string, ribbon, elastic bands, hair ties and tape out of the box, and save wand toys with string for supervised play only.
How much food should go in a foraging box?
Take it from the daily allowance rather than adding extra. Measure the day's dry food in the morning and set aside a portion for the box. Keep treats small and few, especially for indoor cats that are already a little heavy.
How often should I give my cat a foraging box?
Once or twice a day works for many cats, at active times such as dawn, dusk or before you leave. Take the box away after each session, change the filler and hiding spots, and replace the box once it is soft or torn so it stays clean and interesting.
