Pounce-a-pult | Spiral Cat Toy

Description

This toy is built around a flat spiral spring that flexes and rebounds when your cat swats it, creating a bouncy, wiggly motion that’s fun to poke and hard to ignore. One good tap sends the spiral wobbling and twisting before it settles back, ready for the next round.

The spiral arm leads to a small rod holder sized for a thin, straight rod. Stick a feather, puffball, string, or whatever your cat is currently obsessed with on the end, and you’ve got a simple swatting target that moves in a way cats seem to find endlessly interesting.

The base assembles from a long base plate and two triangular support brackets.

V2 Updates (based on your feedback): 

• Added chamfered mounting holes so you can bolt this thing to a wall, desk, cat tree, or any nearby surface brave enough to host it.
• Spring mount upgraded to a glorious heptagon socket (7 sides for anyone counting at home). That means seven different angle options instead of just two. When the spring starts to sag after months of high-impact cat shenanigans, just rotate it to a fresh face. More tuning options, better wear spread, and an easy way to dial in the perfect amount of bounce.

This design is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license and is meant to be shared, remixed, and built upon. The included STEP file was exported from a full Onshape assembly and preserves the individual parts, making it easy to import into other CAD tools and modify as needed.

Assembly

• Designed for a ~1.6 mm rod. A straightened coat hanger works great.
• Straightened PLA filament or any similar stiff plastic rod will also do the job.
• Add a feather, puffball, or string to the end of the rod using glue, a knot, or a snug friction fit.

Printing

• PLA or PETG recommended
• No supports required
• Prints flat on the build plate

A straightforward print, quick assembly, and a design that’s as remix-friendly as it is fun to bat around.