3D Printed Pet Accessories for Dogs, Cats, and More!

Have you ever noticed just how expensive buying for your pet can get? There’s something off about paying upwards of $40 for what’s effectively a giant cushion they call a bed, or filling a shopping cart with assorted toys that you know aren’t worth the weight of the cheap plastic from which they’re made.

3D printed pet accessories offer not only a much cheaper alternative to purchasing them, it’s also a really fun way to spice up the life of your furry (or not so furry) friend.

There are a lot of ways to use your 3D printer to enhance the lives of your pets or even wild animals in your area that you want help out with various food dispensers, bird feeders, and things other animals besides your own pets can enjoy.

Here we’re going to look at a few examples of the many models available to enhance the lives of both our domesticated friends and wild neighbors.

Don’t worry, though, I won’t just be sticking to cats and dogs, I’ll be looking at the other creatures that make nature so breathtaking. So there’s something here not just for all kinds of pet owner, but all animal lovers too!

3D Printing for Dogs

Dogs are man’s best friend for a few reasons. They’re loyal, they’re social, and they’re adorable as anything. Dog owners the world over have found a lot of ways 3D printing can enhance the lives of our furry friends.

Anyone can print a food bowl or toy, so I’m going to show you some of the more unique and cool options for 3D printing awesome new things for your trusty companion.

Ball Scoop and Launcher

• Download: MyMiniFactory
• Designer: Lloyd Bolts
• Price: Free

As someone who grew up with both a dalmador and a border collie, I can tell you firsthand that the depth of a dog’s energy reserves is not to be underestimated.

While they’re mostly just happy for the company and exercise, sometimes it’s just impossible for the average person to keep up.

This ball scoop and launcher is a great way to make sure your dog gets the most distance in their run without tiring out your arm! When you get home you’ll have your pet napping peacefully while you still have the arm strength to wield the remote.

Dog Camera Mount

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: willie42
• Price: Free

Have you ever wanted to see through your dog’s eyes? While now you can (more or less) with this 3D printed camera mount to fit onto your dog’s harness. It’s a functional and safe product to let you see through your pet’s eyes.

Not only is this a cool way to experience the world as your dog sees it – except with more colors – and you can fit your camera with a wireless uplink to easily locate your pet if they get lost in the park.

Portable Bowl

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: dadhoc
• Price: Free

Speaking of the park, dogs can go for hours without running out of steam, but they still need a drink of water and a nice snack every now and then. This portable water and food bowl is the best way to make sure you keep your pet hydrated while on particularly long walks without needing a plastic bottle.

What sets this print aside from your standard dish is that it even fits a standard-size water bottle so you won’t need to carry it separately. It’s easily washable for use with food too, and many makers have found it to be a lifesaver on hot days.

Poop Bag Boxes

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: gcgriffin
• Price: Free

Let’s be honest, the worst part about owning a pet (often the only real downside, in fact), is dealing with its… leavings. Responsible pet owners (and people who aren’t just objectively awful human beings) know the importance of cleaning up after your dog while on walks.

Though this leaves us with a problem. If you’re not in a dog park or anywhere else where trash cans and disposal areas are plentiful, you’re stuck carrying around an awful-smelling bag we would rather get rid of as soon as possible.

This design is a box that can be easily attached to your lead for storing these bags until you find a good (and responsible) place to get rid of them. It makes the worst part of pet-ownership a little more bearable, and you’ll wonder how you got by without one.

Honorable Mention: Accessibility Prints for Dogs

• Download: Printables
• Designer: LoboCNC
• Price: Free

All dogs love fun and adventure, but sometimes we rely on dogs to look after people who can’t easily take care of themselves.

Service dogs are well-trained and extremely capable creatures, but their work to become professionals isn’t easy. These accessibility 3D prints are designed to be rubbed with various scents to help a dog associate smells with colors to help blind people.

There’s even a small mechanism to help them easily open handled doors or toggle light switches to aid their trusting wards.

3D Printing for Cats

Cats may not be as dependent or reliable as dogs, but that doesn’t make them any less of a great pet. They’re playful, fun, and aren’t so reliant on us that they take up our whole lives (unless we want them to, of course.)

Sphere Toys

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: pmoews
• Price: Free

Cats love to bat things, and if you don’t distract them enough, they’ll be batting the last of your favorite glasses off the table before you know it. To keep them occupied and your beverages safe, there are lots of cool toys you can 3D print for your feline friend.

These sphere toys are easy to print and can be made large enough to fit anything inside, be it catnip or even a treat. Your cat will have a great time throwing them around your floor to get at what’s inside or simply just to see them roll.

Fishing Line

• Download: Cults3D
• Designer: VGAPOLITZER
• Price: Free

If you prefer to be a little more hands-on with your kitty’s playtime, then I recommend printing out this classic fake fishing line to bounce around and watch them go nuts trying to catch it.

Automatic Laser Pointer

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: NVJOB
• Price: Free

If you want your cat to go truly crazy and just want to watch and get a few laughs, those of you who are more mechanically inclined will love this automatic laser pointer, that moves that little dot around the wall to keep your cat – and you – entertained for quite a while.

3D Printing for Hamsters and Gerbils

Hamsters and gerbils are surprisingly active creatures. They like to run, play, climb, and generally tire themselves out. A hamster in an empty cage will lose its zest for life quite quickly, so it’s a good idea to fill their homes with an assortment of toys and ornaments to keep them entertained.

Hamster Line

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: patniemeyer
• Price: Free

As an all-in-one, I really like these ‘Hamster Land’ 3D printed hamster toys. This little set includes a few things to keep your little friend occupied like a castle, a customizable house, and even a working hamster wheel!

Gerbil Playground

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: scifiguy
• Price: Free

If you have gerbils who are more on the more energetic side, then you’d do well to print this playground. It has enough variety to keep them interested with all the physical challenge they could want.

Dwarf Hamster House

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: _Tobi
• Price: Free

Don’t think I’m forgetting our littlest friends. Dwarf hamsters are adorable little creatures that like to tucker out just as much as their bigger cousins. This dwarf hamster house is a fantastic, and amazingly cute, way to keep any dwarf hamster occupied, and give them a nicer view while they’re at it.

3D Printing for Ferrets

Ferrets are a popular pet. They’re cuddly, they’re energetic, and they’re a bit of a handful. As social creatures, they thrive well in pairs or small groups, so you’ll want to keep them occupied so you’re not chasing after them all day.

Ferret Tunnel

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: Miziavelli
• Price: Free

As burrowing creatures, ferrets like to be in tight spaces whether they’re sleeping or playing. So this 3D printed ferret tunnel is a great way to keep them happy and give them a way around their ferret cage that isn’t always underfoot.

Because it’s designed to be long, the files are for interlocking parts. This means you can print as many as you need to create a ferret tube in whatever length you need.

Ferret Hammock Bracket

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: Chooch
• Price: Free

Ferrets like to sleep curled up and surrounded on all sides, which is why the ideal bed for them is a hammock. If you’ve made one yourself, then you may have trouble attaching it securely to the top of their enclosure, or just fret that your knots will come undone and send your sleeping slinkers to the ground.

This 3D printed ferret hammock bracket is a safe and easy way to keep their bed aloft and secure. No more ferret tears, only a good night’s rest.

Cage Lock

• Download: Printables
• Designer: With_Maltodextrin
• Price: Free

Speaking of nighttime activities, ferrets never seem to be able to decide if they’re nocturnal or diurnal, and so can be alert and active at any given time of day or night. Of course, if you need your rest, you won’t want to have your ferrets roaming around unsupervised when you’re trying to sleep.

Of course, any pet owner is going to be paranoid about locking the right gates or securing the right doors, so this handy Locked-For-Sure indicator will tell you at a glance that your ferrets’ enclosure is sealed tight for the night. Peace of mind was never so simple.

3D Printing for Snakes

Snakes are popular pets. They don’t need (or particularly want) a lot of attention, and they’re an arguably cool addition to any home. Ball pythons (or royal pythons) are particularly common in any reptile lover’s life.

As they’re not social creatures, snakes like to be alone and hidden. Anyone who’s ever looked in a friend’s enclosure and wondered if there really is a snake in there will know that their predatory nature means they’re most comfortable in solitude and shadow.

Because of this, any snake enclosure will need at least one hiding spot for them to curl up and be at peace.

Hiding Rock

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: SafetyDance
• Price: Free

Snake hiding spots are simple to print, they don’t need to be any particular shape as long as they’re hollow and baseless. This easy 3D print is designed to look like a common rock and can be painted and decorated in natural colors to mimic a natural environment.

It can be used in any reptile enclosure, so it’s not just ball python owners who could use this in their ball python enclosure, if you own an iguana or other lizards, you’ll find this to be a fitting addition to their enclosure too.

Fake Log

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: wcatherall
• Price: Free

If you prefer to view your snake more easily, this fake log provides them with a space to curl up and be alone while also being open enough to not obstruct your view. It’s pretty well detailed and wouldn’t look out of place in any reptilian pal’s home.

If the natural look isn’t for you, though, then why not print out this hollow house for your python to retire to? Don’t worry, snakes aren’t as fussy about their environment as many other pets, so the unnatural setting of a modern home won’t be an issue.

3D Printing for Wild Animals

Taking care of your local fauna can be just as rewarding as caring for your own furry little friend. It’s not just our trained and domesticated pals that need love, attention, and occasionally a little help, after all.

The depth of your local biodiversity will of course depend on where you live, but here are some of the best 3D printed accessories to help any of your neighborhood outdoor animals find food, shelter, and even stay safe.

Thankless a task as this often is, it’s a great feeling knowing you’ve helped nature find a way.

Bat Bunker

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: RobertToole
• Price: Free

An often-overlooked animal local to many places all over the world from America to Central Europe is the common bat species. These nocturnal friends are rarely seen for longer than a split second unless you’re actively looking for them.

While bats are not a nesting species, they do need to roost, and have taken to using existing structures to do so like caves and buildings, and that’s where bat houses and bat boxes come in.

Having a bat house like this Bat Bunker in your yard is the perfect way to help keep these little guys safe, giving them a sheltered home in which to roost. Taking steps to make it weather resistant will also help our flying friends remain dry in the rainy season. Its removable roof also makes it easy to maintain and clean.

It’s easily accessible as bats can climb very well, while also helping keep predators away if put on a high pole.

These predators could include your own cat, by the way. So this bat house is a good thing t have if you keep a cat as a pet

The lovely design also acts as a wonderful garden ornament and is very easy to print, so even newbies won’t be driven so called bat guano by it even if it’s the first model they decide to work with.

Cool things to note: did you know that bats are more closely related to humans and other primates than they are to rodents? Also, they’re not actually blind!

Tray Feeders

• Download: Thingiverse
• Designer: LJClark
• Price: Free

Bird feeders are common in many gardens all over the world. They give our flying, feathered neighbors somewhere to eat while also letting us get a better view of the skittery little critters than we’d normally be able to.

These feeders are the best ones in my opinion, as not only do the files contain a whole set of different feeders that go right on your windowsill to give you a really up-close look at the birds feeding in them as they perch on the included bar.

Because they come as different interlocking designs, these feeders can offer as much or as little food storage capacity as you want or need. Just be sure to follow all the instructions and print with food safe materials, which you can read about in our detailed article here.

Just be careful when using these, and take them in at night. Singing birds are nice to have nearby, and feeding wild animals may be a rewarding experience, but you may end up feeding a different species than your intended user.

Nocturnal scavengers like racoons and foxes will make for some unwanted guests if you leave these boxes full of food and become more and more attracted to your home, which can become dangerous. While I personally love foxes and hedgehogs, I’d still prefer to keep the outside well… outside.

Insect Hotel

• Download: Cults3D
• Designer: COLLINSCREATIONS3D
• Price: $6.19

I’ve left this one to the last because, for obvious reasons, it won’t be to everyone’s taste. Insect hotels are designed as resting, even hibernating, areas that attract insects to keep them safe and secure between pollination, which as we all know is vital for healthy seed dispersal to keep our local plants alive and thriving.

While not the best thing to have around if you’re arachnophobic (or even trypophobic), they are important structures. Insects are just as vital to local flora and fauna as any other critter, and they need their own space too.

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