Emma Jones
Is your house tiger one of the patient representatives of its kind that can concentrate on one thing over a longer period of time? Is he a tinkerer who solves problems, a fine motorist who skilfully uses his claws, tongue, and paws to fish even the smallest toy or crumbs of food out of cracks and crevices? Then a fiddle board is an ideal activity and intelligence toy.
What is a cat fiddle board?
A fiddle board is an activity toy in which various three-dimensional components are assembled on a “board”. In or between these, in turn, “prey” that is attractive to the cat is placed. This can be treats or dry food, but small toys such as play mice, balls, or catnip scented sachets can also be hidden.
These rewards are not easy for the cat to grab. In order to snatch at it, the tiger must work very skillfully with either the paws or the tongue. Sometimes it is even necessary to combine different actions in order to reach the goal – like holding a hatch open or moving a lid.
What are the advantages of a fiddle board?
Especially for indoor cats that live in a less stimulating environment, fiddle boards are an interesting toy that they can occupy themselves with for a while – in your presence. The puzzles with tasty rewards fulfill different functions:
- Pastime: Sitting in front of the fiddle board, the cat will be busy for a while – not necessarily all the time, but as long as there is something to get there, it will keep coming back.
- Intelligence: Depending on the level of difficulty of the fiddle board, the cat has to come up with strategies to get treats or toys. This ensures “intellectual” stimulation and concentration training.
- Motor skills: A tricky fiddle board, on which the cat has to reach for the reward with different body parts, trains mobility and coordination.
- Eating Habits: Animals with a tendency to gorge or dieters will spend longer eating when part of the daily ratio is passed over a feeding board.
Can you make a fiddle board for cats yourself?
In the Fressnapf online shop, there are a large number of fiddle board variants of varying complexity. This of course saves you time. However, if you have a little crafting or DIY skills, you can easily build a fiddle board yourself.
Fummel boards can be made from simple materials and redesigned over and over again. So you can let your creativity run free and at the same time get a species-appropriate activity for your cat. With a very simple structure made of cardboard and cardboard and paper rolls, it is best to try out whether the cat is interested in the gameplay at all, and then add to it as you like.
Which materials and components are suitable for building a fiddle board yourself?
For the base plate of the fumbling board, you need a stable base plate, such as a hardwood board, with the appropriate weight. You can then either permanently stick the individual “fiddle modules” onto this or sink various screw nuts into the wood. Finally, you can later simply unscrew, rearrange and replace the individual modules. This also makes cleaning easier.
You attach the fiddle modules themselves to smaller base boards and design them with items that every household has to offer. Don’t forget a pre-drilled hole through which you will later attach the module to the base plate with a screw and washer.
Watch your cat play and get inspired – the possibilities are endless. But make sure that all modules have a minimum distance of two centimeters from each other – otherwise, there is a risk that the tiger will pinch its paw.