The Best Cat Themed Wooden Puzzle Boxes

A puzzle box or trick box is usually a wooden box can only be opened by only a secret method or a series of steps. Modern puzzle boxes developed from jewelry boxes with secret compartments and hidden openings. Today, many of them are produced and sold all around the world for entertainment and as tourist gifts. Some popular regions that specialize more in these puzzle boxes are Hakone (Japan), Interlaken (Switzerland), and Sri Lanka. China has a similar example in the form of their antique cricket boxes.

Alright, now let’s look at the best cat themed wooden puzzle boxes!

*A special shout out to to bestselling indie sci-fi author Terry Mixon for introducing us to cat puzzle boxes on his Facebook. Check out his author website here and his Amazon page here. He also co-runs the awesome indie writer’s podcast The Dead Robots Society. His work stands on its own, but what you may not know is that Terry and his wife Donna rescue, house and care for many stray and injured cats. Much love to them, these guys are heroes in our book.

1. Cat Puzzle Boxes By Carver Dan’s Shop

Carver Dan’s is the business name and also moniker of Dan Terrico, who has been making these fine wooden boxes since 1976. He started his own woodworking career as the first Master Craftsman from the apprenticeship program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. There, he received extensive training in woodcarving, cabinetry, and metalwork. Although the business is still based in Orlando, today the products are manufactured in Củ Chi, Vietnam (near Ho Chi Minh) with the same degree of care and dedication as before. His felt-lined puzzle boxes feature intricate design and layering work while maintaining the cute factor. Red woods are mangosteen, yellow is boxwood, white is birch, tan is beech and black is walnut. No paints or stains are used, so they are 100% natural. These are made to last a lifetime if well cared for. Any of these will make an excellent conversation piece in any cat lover’s home.

Cat In Hat With Flowers – US$34.95 on Amazon

Best Pals: Cat And Dog – US$34.95 on Amazon

Cat With Bow: Sleeping Kitten – US$29.95 on Amazon

Bengal Tiger – US$29.95 on Amazon

Lion, King Of The Jungle – US$34.95 on Amazon

2. Cat Puzzle Boxes By JellyRollBox

JellyRollBox is a New York based company owned by Gary Cooper and to date they have sold more than 1,300 wood creations on their Etsy store. Their boxes are all handmade with hardwood (mostly beech) and both quality and durability are top notch. They are felt-lined and make use of magnets to snap the cover and box together tightly.

Cat And Mouse 4 Pc Puzzle Box – US$34.99 on Etsy

Kitten Puzzle Box With Hidden Key And Compartment – US$32.99 on Etsy

Siberian Tiger – US$33.99 on Etsy

3. Cat Puzzle Boxes By Evans Workshop

Evans Workshop is based in Pennsylvania and produces handmade puzzle boxes that are similar in style to Carver Dan’s. The boxes are felt lined and they also use different types of wood for the different colors. Check out some of their unique and adorable designs below. Their pricing is slightly premium compared to others on the list with a comparable quality, so I would only pick them if the designs really speak to me. Also, they have some lovely wooden wall plaques that have received rave reviews as well. Seeing as they’re newer to Etsy (since 2020), they have a lot of potential that we will possibly revisit in a future post.

Kitty In Bed, US$39.95 on Etsy

Cat And Mouse – US$39.95 on Etsy

Lion – US$38.95 on Etsy

4. Cat Puzzle Boxes By Bikindi

Bali has a rich and ancient cultural heritage of woodcarving that can be seen everywhere – in their art, tools, furniture and even architecture. Bikindi is a family business owned by Ardy Ardika that produces Balinese handmade wooden products. They wouldn’t have made the list unless they had some awesome cat themed puzzle boxes, so here we go. However, we really think you should check out the rest of their delightful animal carvings as well on their Etsy store page. Just be warned, some are sexual in nature 😜 Pricing goes up in proportion to the complexity and some of the pieces are intricate and pricey, for sure. Bikindi is based in Ubud.