A fiddle board offers your cat an attractive and useful activity. You can make it yourself with simple tools. You can find all the information you need in our instructions and video.
What is a fiddle board for cats?
The point of a fiddle board is to provide your cat with an interesting activity. To do this, all kinds of objects that are suitable for hiding treats are attached to a solid base plate. The cat has to prove its ability to get hold of the "prey" under, in or between these objects. All kinds of objects that are suitable for hiding treats are attached to a solid base plate. The cat has to prove its ability to get hold of the "prey" under, in or between these objects. All kinds of objects that are suitable for hiding treats are attached to a solid base plate. The cat has to prove its skill in getting hold of the "prey" under, in or between these objects.
What are the advantages of a fumble board for cats?
Not every cat has free range and can romp around outside to its heart's content. Many of them are indoor cats who enjoy a change in their daily routine. This can be provided, for example, by a scratching post, a home-made cat fishing rod, scented cushions or a fiddle board. This combines several advantages:
- Mental challenge
Cats are very intelligent. Many of them love to take up the challenge of searching for treats on a fumble board. - A welcome pastime
If you have two or more cats that can go outside, you don't have to worry about your pets getting bored. The situation is different for indoor cats, especially if they are kept alone. They are happy to be given something to do from time to time, such as a fiddle board. - Agility & coordination
Depending on how challenging the board is, the cat will need both its paws and its tongue to reach the treats. This trains their fine motor skills and sensory perception. - Ideal for overweight cats
Cats that tend to be overweight should be kept busy to burn off energy. It can be useful to hide part of the daily food ration in the form of dry food or treats in a fiddle board.
What do I need to build a fiddle board?
Let your creativity run wild. Anything that makes it possible to hide a treat will do. Look around your household and collect objects that are suitable for equipping the fiddle board.
We used the following items for our fiddle board:
- Egg carton
- Toilet paper rolls
- Milk snack bowls
- Surprise eggs
- Wooden dowels
You will also need a sturdy wooden board as a base, scissors and waterproof glue. We opted for hot glue.
Crafting instructions for our fiddle board
- Depending on how many cats you want the fiddle board for and how many items you want to place on it, you will need a board measuring approximately 30 x 50 centimetres.
- Prepare all the items: Cut the loo rolls to different lengths, peel the lids off the milk snacks and cut the egg cartons in half.
- Spread everything out on the board. Do not position them too close together so that the cat has enough opportunities to access them from different sides.
- Once everything is roughly in place, you can start gluing it on. Use a waterproof adhesive that will not come off if accidentally licked.
- Check that everything is well attached and wait until the glue has dried before filling the fiddle board with treats.
- Now the players can look at the new toy and test it out. Watch the cats to see how they get on with the fiddle board. It should and may be challenging, but it is important that there are also easily accessible treats. A quick success should encourage them to continue.
- If you find that it is impossible for your cat to fish treats out of certain objects, you may be able to make them easier by cutting them down further.
- We hope you have lots of fun with your home-made fiddle board and would like to finish by pointing out that it may be necessary to replace one or two items or clean the board over time for hygiene reasons.