Mechanical Waving Fidget Cat , Print-in-Place Toy

I hope yous enjoy my submission to the #Contests #ChildrensToys contest

A fun little print-in-place toy designed to be simple, satisfying, and full of personality. The Mechanical Waving Fidget Cat uses a moving gear mechanism that lets the cat wave its arms around as the base is moved, giving it a playful interactive motion that feels great to fidget with.

This model actually went through around 6 different prototype versions before I was happy with it. I spent quite a bit of time adjusting the gear ratio, arm lengths, movement speed, clearances, and tolerances to try and get the smoothest movement possible while still keeping the parts reliable and easy to print.

Like most of my designs, this went through a pretty heavy trial-and-error stage with lots of small tweaks between prints until I felt the movement, strength, and overall feel were right. The goal was to make something that prints reliably across as many printers as possible while still staying compact, fun, and mechanically interesting.

The whole model is designed to print easily with minimal assembly needed, making it beginner friendly while still being interesting mechanically. I wanted to create something that feels like a mix between a desk toy, a simple learning toy, and a fun character kids can instantly connect with.

The chunky shapes and smooth moving parts make it durable and easy to handle, while the cute expression and exaggerated movement help give it that “pick me up and play with me” feeling.

Please refer to the pictures for more information and movement examples.

Setup is very simple:
• Remove the small support between the neck and body (this should peel away easily)
• Grab one ear and the arm on the same side and gently squish them together to release the initial gear movement
• Repeat on the opposite side
• The mechanism should then move freely with no issues

Prints in around 50 minutes on my Bambu A1 and works great as a quick gift, fidget toy, display piece, or fun conversation starter.

Features:
• Print-in-place mechanism
• Interactive waving motion
• Beginner friendly print
• Minimal supports needed
• Kid-friendly chunky design
• Fast print time
• Multiple prototype revisions for smoother reliability

 (it also has a tail so it can stand up by itself as a display , when not in use !!)

If you print one, I’d genuinely love to see your versions and colour combinations 🙂