Cat owner shares brilliant hack using old toilet paper rolls: 'My kitten loves these'

One cat behaviorist has found a way to entertain and enrich feline friends using recycled materials. 

The scoop

Amanda Campion, a professional clinical animal behaviorist, shares hacks for pet owners to bond with their cats on her TikTok page (@kittysittycatbehaviour). 

Campion recently shared a video showing how to create a unique cat toy using a toilet paper roll and treats. Owners can place treats in the roll, fold up the ends of a tube, and poke holes in the finished product. 

@kittysittycatbehaviour Your Cat's Favourite Toy Might Be… a Toilet Roll Tube #C#CatEnrichmentD#DIYCatToysT#ThatIsEnrichmentE#EnrichYourCatC#CardboardHackK#KittysittyE#EcoCatCareCatBehaviourTips #kittysitty #cattoy #cattoys ♬ original sound - kittysittycatbehaviour

"Cardboard tubes like this make excellent foraging games," Campion explains.

Campion advises hiding the rolls around the house and letting your cat find them. This entertains kitties by engaging them in a fun game of hide and seek. 

"This taps into their natural predatory instincts," Campion continued. "It slows them down feeding so you won't get that food barf."

How it's helping

Foraging games are enriching for cats and have many benefits in their development. It is important to give cats opportunities to act on their natural instincts. This is to avoid feelings of boredom or discontent, according to Just Cats Clinic.

Campion's hack is a free and easy way to do this. As cool as some fancy, more expensive toys can be, there's no guarantee that our feline friends will like them. Many owners find that their cats don't like toys from the store, which can waste money. Sometimes, it just takes a toilet paper roll to keep kitties happy. 

"Enrichment doesn't have to be fancy," Campion said. 

Plus, this hack is a great way to bring new life into an item often viewed as waste. Upcycling can help divert trash from our overcrowded landfills. It's always cheaper to repurpose the things you already have than it is to buy new, as Campion's hack demonstrates. When the cats are done with the tubes, then you can recycle them.

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What everyone's saying

Commenters shared that their cats also love toilet paper rolls, although some didn't realize the tubes could be upgraded.

"My kitten loves these but I didn't think to put some holes and treats in that's a fab idea," one person shared.

Others divulged the other weird items that their pets love to play with. Most of them aren't your standard toys.

"Empty toothpaste tube! I pop some treats in it and close the end loosely...my Xena is absolutely determined to get them out!!" one person said. 

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