Cardboard box fort for cats: how to play
Build a small fort from cardboard boxes, with doorways, peepholes and hidden toys. Your cat gets a cosy hideaway, a puzzle to explore and a place to ambush a toy.
- Time
- 20 min
- Energy
- Medium
- Space
- A room
You'll need
- 2-3 cardboard boxes
- packing tape
- scissors or craft knife
- old jumper or blanket
- small cat toys
- treats
- wand toy (optional)
Set up
Save two or three cardboard boxes of different sizes. An adult cuts a doorway in each box and a round peephole in one or two, then tapes the boxes into two or three connected rooms. Put the fort in a quiet corner and line the darkest room with an old jumper or blanket.
How to play
Collect two or three boxes and leave them open on the floor for a few minutes. Let your cat sniff them and sit in them before you build anything.
Adult job: cut a doorway in the side of each box and a round peephole in one or two. Tape the boxes together into two or three connected rooms, with more than one way in and out.
Make one room cosy with an old jumper or a soft blanket. Put the fort in a quiet corner where your cat can watch the room from inside.
Hide a few treats or small toys in different rooms. Put one just inside a doorway and one deeper in, so your cat has to explore to find them.
Let your cat go first. Sit back and let them sniff, peek, climb on top and move in and out. Do not pull them out or push them in.
Ambush play: drag a wand toy or a soft toy past a peephole or doorway, then let it disappear. Pause so your cat can wait and watch from inside, then let the toy pass again for the pounce.
Change the fort around every few days: move a box, swap the blanket or hide a toy in a new room. A new box is a new puzzle for your cat to explore.
House rules
- Let your cat choose when to go in and out. Do not pull them out or block the doorways.
- Put hidden toys or a few treats in different rooms, not all in one place.
- Keep hands and feet out of the fort when your cat is in play mode.
- Adults do all cutting and taping.
- Change the fort around every few days to keep it interesting.
- Make it easier
- Start with one open box and a soft blanket. Put a single toy just inside and let your cat explore with no building work.
- Make it harder
- Join three boxes into a loop, add a peephole and a sturdy box on top as a lookout, and hide toys in different rooms. Move the fort or swap boxes every few days.
Signs it's having fun
Sniffing the box edges, rubbing the sides of the face on the cardboard, hopping in and out, peeking through a peephole, attacking corners, waiting inside for a toy to pass.
Stop if you see
Your cat hisses, swats, flattens their ears or tries to get away from the fort. Let them leave and give space; if they will not come out for food or seem unwell, call your vet now.
Safety
Safety- Use toys that are too big to swallow. If your cat swallows a toy, call your vet now.
- Do not leave wand toys or loose string in or near the fort. Cats can ingest ropes and strings; call your vet now if you see string in your cat's mouth or bottom.
- Do not let your cat chase or pounce on your hands or feet, even in play.
- Adults do all cutting and taping. Check for loose tape before your cat goes in.
- If your cat seems frightened, let them leave and do not block the exits. If they will not come out for food or seem unwell, call your vet now.
Sources
- Why do cats love boxes? | Blog
- Why Do Cats Like Boxes? | PetMD
- Cat Behavior and Training - Enrichment for Indoor Cats | VCA Animal Hospitals
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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