Muffin-tin puzzle for cats: how to play
Kibble in a muffin tin, cups covered with balls. Your cat scoops the balls out to find the food.
- Time
- 10 min
- Energy
- Low
- Space
- Small room
You'll need
- 6 or 12 cup muffin tin
- ping-pong balls or scrunched paper balls
- kibble or treats
Set up
Put a few pieces of kibble in each cup. Use a tin with smooth rims. Place it on a mat so it does not slide.
How to play
Start with no balls. Let your cat eat out of the cups so it learns the tin holds food.
Next time, cover just two cups with balls. Leave the rest open.
Cover half the cups. Watch your cat hook a ball out with its paw.
Cover every cup. Some cups can be empty so your cat has to check.
Stay nearby for the first few goes. Praise and tap a ball if your cat gets stuck.
Collect the balls afterward and wash the tin.
House rules
- Every cup with food must be reachable with one paw scoop.
- Pick up balls after play.
- Make it easier
- Fewer covered cups and larger kibble piles.
- Make it harder
- Use paper balls that fit snugly, or put a ball in every cup with food in only a few.
Signs it's having fun
Paw hooking and flicking balls out, sniffing each cup, batting the balls around after.
Stop if you see
Your cat walks away frustrated. Go back a step next time.
Safety
Safety- Balls must be too big to swallow. Ping-pong size is fine for adult cats.
- Check the tin for sharp edges.
- Supervise paper balls so they are not eaten.
Sources
- Study finds nearly a third of cat owners use food puzzles (UC Davis)
- Food puzzles for cats: feeding for physical and emotional wellbeing (Dantas et al., summary)
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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