Cats seem to love springs. We just adopted from the local humane society and they gave us some toys which included a spring which was her #1 favorite toy. Turns out our other cat likes springs as well.
I decided to make some more springs from filament scraps. First I just wrapped filament around a pipe and taped the ends. Then I went over it with a heat gun and then cooled in water. This made perfectly playable springs but they were a bit messy looking so I made this tool.
Print the tool from ABS or other higher temp filament as you will be applying heat to set the springs.
I have 2 sizes to choose from. The one labeled “cat spring maker” makes a 1" (25mm) diameter spring almost 2" (50mm) long. The “1_5” makes a 1.5" (38mm) diameter spring.
Spring Making:
If your filament keeps on snapping during the forming process, then your filament is probably too brittle to be a good toy anyways. Check to make sure the spring will hold its shape by gently stretching it a little and seeing if it springs back. If not, then either you didn't get it hot enough or that filament may not work well.
CAUTION: If your cat is a chewer or starts chewing on the springs, then don't let them play with these unsupervised since they could be injured by swallowed plastic bits. Same caution should be used for store-bought cat springs and other toys.
The author marked this model as their own original creation.