hey guys! quick question – do you ever come home to find your dog (or cat, no judgment here) has demolished their favorite toy out of pure boredom? i swear, my golden retriever, max, turned our couch pillow into confetti last week because i was stuck at work longer than usual. that’s when i got the idea to make a pet treat dispenser out of old tin cans – and lucky for you, i’m a tin cans supplier, so i’ve got all the good, sturdy ones on hand (no flimsy soda cans that’ll bend mid-play, trust me). Tin Cans
first off, let’s talk why this works so much better than store-bought dispensers. for one, it’s way cheaper – i spent like $5 total on extra supplies, not $30 on some plastic gizmo that cracks in two months. two, it’s customizable, so you can adjust the difficulty for your pet. and three? it’s zero-waste, which is a win for anyone who’s tired of tossing empty cans. but don’t worry, i’m not just tossing random cans at you – i’ve tested this with max, my neighbor’s cat, even my cousin’s border collie, so i know the steps hold up.
let’s start with the prep work first, because you don’t want to rush this and end up with a sharp can edge. first, pick your cans – i’d recommend 12-16 oz tin cans (the ones for soup, beans, or canned veggies) because they’re the perfect size for little paws and snouts. skip the big 28 oz ones – too heavy, and your pet won’t budge it. next, make sure the cans are completely empty and clean – leftover bean gunk = a sticky mess, not fun for anyone. then, the most important step here: sanding the edges. tin cans are sharp as hell when you open them, so grab a fine-grit sandpaper (220 grit works perfect) and rub all the edges of each can, top and bottom, until they’re smooth. i even use a can opener with a smooth edge, just to double-check. last, wipe them down with a damp cloth to get rid of any metal dust, let ’em dry for 10 mins.
now, what you’ll need besides the cans. i’m not talking fancy stuff here. you’ll need: a drill with a ½ inch bit (or a hot nail if you don’t have a drill, just be careful), a hot glue gun (or strong craft glue, but hot glue sticks faster), a roll of colorful duct tape (optional, but makes it look less industrial), and of course, your pet’s favorite treats – kibble, small training treats, whatever they go crazy for. that’s it. no special tools, no fancy materials.
here’s the part that’s actually fun – building the dispenser. first, take one of your clean, sanded cans – this will be the base. you need to drill holes around the bottom edge of the base can. why the bottom? because if you drill holes on the side, the treats fall out too easy for most pets, especially lazy ones. i do 8-10 holes, evenly spaced, so the treats can slip out when the can is rolled around. wait, hold up – a quick pro tip: if your pet is super tiny (like a teacup poodle or a kitten), make the holes a little smaller, like ¼ inch, so the treats don’t all spill at once. if you’ve got a big, rambunctious dog, go up to ⅝ inch, so more treats come out per roll. that’s the customization i was talking about.
next, we need a way to hold the treats inside the dispenser – right, the base can is just the outer shell, so we need a inner can. take a second tin can, same size as the base. this one doesn’t need holes, because it’s just the container for the treats. here’s where the fun engineering comes in: drill one single hole in the center of the bottom of the inner can. that hole is going to be how you load the treats, so make sure it’s big enough to fit your treats through – ½ inch works for most stuff.
now, assemble the whole thing. put the inner can (the one with the single hole) straight into the base can (the one with the holes around the bottom, the one your pet will roll). push it down until the bottom of the inner can is touching the bottom of the base can. take your hot glue gun, and put a thin line of glue around the top edge of the inner can, where it meets the base can. hold it for 10 seconds, make sure it’s stuck tight. wait 5 mins for the glue to cool, just to be safe.
optional step: decorate it! i know this isn’t necessary, but max hates anything plain, so i wrapped his dispenser in neon orange duct tape, and now he runs to it every time i grab it. you can use any duct tape, paint it (wait, make sure the paint is non-toxic for pets!), or even draw little paw prints on it. it’s your call, but keep it safe – don’t use anything that flaks off and your pet could chew and swallow.
last step: test it out! grab your treats, pour 5-10 into the inner can through that single center hole you drilled earlier. put the lid back on (wait, hold up – did i forget the lids? you can use the original can lids, just make a hole in the lid of the inner can too, right where the center hole is, so treats slide through easy. or if you don’t have lids, just tape a piece of plastic over the inner can’s top, with the center hole cut. super easy). roll the dispenser on the floor – some treats should spill out through the base’s bottom holes. if too many fall out, make the base holes smaller. if none fall out, make them bigger. adjust as needed until it’s the perfect difficulty.
i’ve had mine for 3 months now, and max still isn’t bored of it. he’ll bat it around the living room for 20 minutes straight, instead of chewing my couch. but here’s a little bonus: you can make different versions for different pets. for cats, use smaller cans, drill smaller holes, and put it on a low table so they can bat it too. for senior dogs, make the holes a little bigger so they don’t have to work too hard. and if you’ve got multiple pets, make a couple different ones so no one’s hogging the treats.
wait, let’s get real for a sec – a lot of people think tin cans are too heavy or sharp, but i promise, if you sand the edges right, they’re totally safe. max has chewed the edge a couple times and nothing’s happened, no cuts, no metal bits in his mouth. plus, as a tin cans supplier, i love that this keeps empty cans out of landfills. it’s a win for your pet, a win for your wallet, a win for the planet.
but here’s the thing – if you don’t have enough good tin cans to make multiple dispensers, don’t sweat it. i’ve got a steady supply of food-grade tin cans, perfect for this project. they’re sturdy, BPA-free, and way better than those thin soda cans that crumple when a big dog steps on them. whether you need 5 cans for a bunch of pets at home or 50 for a local animal shelter’s fundraiser, i can hook you up. no hassle, no weird minimum orders, just solid cans for your DIY projects.
if you’re thinking of making a bunch for your friends, or donating some, just reach out. i don’t do fancy corporate stuff here – i’m just a tin cans supplier who loves DIY pet projects. so hit me up if you need any supplies, have questions about drilling or sanding, or want to swap ideas for more fun pet gadgets. let’s keep our pets occupied, keep waste low, and maybe save a couch or two in the process.
happy building, and may your pets get lots of treats (and fewer couch confetti disasters)!
Conveyor System references:
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2022). DIY pet enrichment toys: Safe, budget-friendly options for dogs and cats.
- Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Tin can recycling and waste reduction best practices.
- Journal of Veterinary Behavior. (2021). Effects of puzzle feeders on companion dog boredom and destructive behavior.
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