Genius cat mom turns toilet paper rolls into her pets’ favorite toy with a simple 3-step hack

The creative hack could do a great deal for a bored kitty when their owners leave for work or are out for a while.

PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO

(L)Woman working with cat at home, (R) Empty toilet paper rolls stacked behind a toilet. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L)Jelena Lalic, (R) c.dollan)

A woman surprised her pet cats with a toy made using only toilet paper rolls. TikTok creator and cat mom, @catscraftsandcoffee, discovered a fun way to reuse her exhausted toilet paper rolls and transform them into a sustainable kitty enrichment activity for the win. She broke down the DIY technique in three simple steps to encourage cat owners to try it out, even those who may not be so great with crafts. The post has gone viral, garnering over 35,000 views.

A woman looking at her pet cat. Don Mason — A woman looking at her pet cat. (Representative Image source: Getty Images | Don Mason)

The first step of the DIY Kitty Enrichment Activity was to collect all the materials, which included about four empty toilet paper rolls, thread, and a pair of scissors. And of course, the most important ingredient: treats. Next, the cat mom attached four toilet paper rolls to a single line of thread, turning it into a train of rolls. She then tied each end of the thread to scratchers. Others may use a sturdy material for support. Finally, she hid treats inside the hanging paper rolls. The enrichment toy was ready to go!

Stack of carton rolls on table. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Jessica Lewis )

It was only a matter of time until the cat noticed the hack and engaged with it. The creator shared pictures of her cat curiously navigating the toy. “Your cats will thank you!” she wrote in an overlay text. The creative hack could do a great deal for a bored kitty when their owners leave for work or are out for a while. People were convinced by the kitty toy and shared their reactions in the comments. @leannastutt said, “I did this and it was such a successful enrichment activity! Thank you.” “I knew I was collecting them for something,” quipped @bessievibes. Many others were impressed and thanked the cat owner for the idea.

A Woman in White Shirt with Beanie Hat making an Item. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | MART PRODUCTION)

Similarly, the cat parent shared another version of an enrichment activity for her pets. This included a few additional steps and seemed more complicated than the toilet paper roll hack. In one of the most popular videos on her page, she revealed how she made a “kitty busy board” out of discarded items at home. She cut open a cardboard box and laid it flat on the ground to make the base. Then, she hot-glued random containers on the board, added a few cups, and crumbled paper in the leftover spaces. For the final touch, she hid treats and her cats’ favorite toys. Soon, her kitties were all over the board, busy in their treasure hunt. The post amassed nearly 500,000 views and 43,000 hearts from the internet.

Tabby Kittens playing with toy. (Representative Image Source: Pexels |Pixabay) — Tabby Kittens playing with toy. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Pixabay)

Cats are often easily bored and may exhibit behaviors related to psychological stress. Hence, owners need to provide their cats with ample enrichment by tapping into their instinctive behaviors such as biting, pouncing, and stalking, per PetMD. “If a cat does not have an appropriate outlet in which to practice normal biting behavior, say because they lack enrichment or playtime, they may direct the biting toward an inappropriate outlet, like humans,” explained Kristyn Vitale, cat researcher and PhD candidate at Oregon State University.

You can follow @catscraftsandcoffee for more cat hack videos.