DIY Pet Enrichment on a Budget: 5 Easy Puzzles to Keep Your Pet Happy and Engaged

DIY Pet Enrichment on a Budget: 5 Easy Puzzles to Keep Your Pet Happy and Engaged. A bored pet is often a mischievous pet. Chewed shoes, scratched furniture, and endless barking can sometimes be signs that your furry friend is craving mental stimulation. Pet enrichment—the act of providing a stimulating environment—is just as important as daily walks and good nutrition for a happy, well-rounded animal.

But you don’t need to spend a fortune on fancy, high-tech toys. At AnimalSharing.info, we believe the best things in life (for you and your pet!) are often simple. Here are 5 easy, budget-friendly DIY enrichment puzzles you can make with items you probably already have at home.

For the Curious Canine: Dog Puzzles

1. The Muffin Tin Mastermind

This is a classic for a reason! It encourages your dog to use its incredible sense of smell to solve a problem.

• What You’ll Need: A standard muffin tin and some of your dog’s favorite treats or kibble.
• How to Make It:
  1. Place a few treats in some of the muffin cups.
  2. To make it more challenging, cover all the cups (both empty and full) with tennis balls or other dog-safe toys.
  3. Let your dog sniff, nudge, and paw their way to the rewards!

2. The Terrific Towel Burrito

This is the easiest puzzle on the list and is perfect for beginners.

• What You’ll Need: An old towel and some treats.
• How to Make It:
  1. Lay a towel flat on the floor.
  2. Sprinkle a few treats across it.
  3. Loosely roll the towel up, creating a “treat burrito.”
  4. Give it to your dog and watch them work to unroll it and find the snacks.

For the Cunning Cat: Feline Fun

3. The “Foraging” Box

This puzzle engages a cat’s natural instinct to hunt and forage for their food.

• What You’ll Need: A shallow cardboard box (a shoebox is perfect) and a mix of items like toilet paper rolls, crinkly paper, and cat-safe toys.
• How to Make It:
  1. Place the toilet paper rolls and other items inside the box.
  2. Sprinkle your cat’s favorite dry treats or kibble inside the box and inside the rolls.
  3. Your cat will have to bat, dig, and explore to get their reward.

4. The Toilet Paper Roll Treat Dispenser

Don’t throw out those empty cardboard rolls! They make fantastic single-use puzzle toys.

• What You’ll Need: An empty toilet paper or paper towel roll and treats.
• How to Make It:
  1. Place a few treats inside the roll.
  2. Fold the ends of the roll inward to partially close it off.
  3. Toss it to your cat and watch them bat it around to shake the treats out.

For Any Pet: The “Snuffle Box”

5. The All-Purpose Snuffle Box

This is a versatile version of the cat’s foraging box that dogs love, too!

• What You’ll Need: A cardboard box and old t-shirts, towels, or scrap fabric.
• How to Make It:
  1. Cut the fabric into strips of various lengths.
  2. Loosely pack the strips into the box.
  3. Hide treats or kibble among the fabric layers.
  4. Let your pet sniff and dig their way through!

A Quick Note on Safety: Always supervise your pet when they are playing with DIY toys. Make sure any materials used are non-toxic and large enough that they cannot be swallowed. Know your pet—if you have a super-chewer, opt for more durable solutions.

Get Creative! It’s Your Turn to Share.

Enrichment is all about creativity. These ideas are just the beginning! What are your favorite DIY pet puzzles?

Try one of these puzzles and post a photo or video of your pet in action in the comments below! Or, head to our forums to share your own unique DIY enrichment ideas with the AnimalSharing.info community.