Treat-dispensing Origami Cat Toy

This easy-to-make toy is based on the same principle as many other treat-dispensing toys. The large outer ball houses a smaller ball that holds the treat. With enough interaction, the treat will fall out, or your cat will tear the toy to shreds and access the treat. Either way, it's fun for you and your cat!

You will need:

• Two squares of paper, roughly in a 2:3 ratio to each other
• Scissors
• A cat treat

If you aren't familiar with how to make a square from a rectangular piece of paper, here are two different methods. Use a paper that will take a crease well (not construction paper!) and is at least as heavy as your average printer paper. You might want to make the outer ball out of a heavier paper, such as an old magazine cover.

Fold two origami balloons, but don't inflate them just yet. If you're having trouble with the diagram, follow the link to its source where you can also watch an animation.

Diagram credit: Origami Club

Cut the open end off of both balloons, making sure that the small balloon can hold a cat treat (with enough room for it to roll out) and that the large balloon can hold the small balloon, preferably without so much room that it rolls out. As long as you have your mouth over the entire end, the balloons will still inflate normally.

Place a treat in the smaller piece, then place the smaller piece hole-down into the larger piece. This ensures that the treat doesn't roll out right away. Now toss it and watch your cat play!

You can reuse the toy if your cat hasn't destroyed it too much. Just pull out the inner piece and reload with a treat. You don't need to re-inflate the pieces with your mouth, you can just use your finger to pop them back into shape. Alternately, your cat might just like playing with the now-empty ball of paper.