Interactive Food Dispenser

[Brandy DW]

So I'm trying this out today on Sabriel. It's the SlimCat Food Dispenser but she's already slim, so this is more for boredom issues. I have it at a challenging level right now where the holes aren't very big but big enough to when you hit a piece or two comes out a time. She's good with hitting it but not great about eating the food that comes out yet lol. She'd hit the ball, see the food come out, and then go over to her food dish and sit down. So i picked the ball up and had her sniff it several times and shook it some - to be like "your food is in here!". Right now I think she's just hungry and had gotten some running around done before that so I think she just wants to eat right now. Not sure. If she hasn't eaten it by tonight I'll put food in her cat bowl. But for right now I want her to at least try the toy out, because I think it could give her some fun for when I'm at work. Hopefully she's figured it out by tonight!

 

[Brandy DW]

Okay I just checked and she has knocked a bit of food out of the ball and onto the floor, but she still isn't eating it. Hopefully by tonight she'll have eaten it.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Try putting treats in the dispenser not kibble? Something like freeze-dried chicken...

If she is slim you can give her her normal meals and use the ball for treats instead

 

[admin]

Good idea Brigitte! I would not keep her from her food.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brandy DW]

Brigitte I'm going with your idea. I checked tonight. She had eaten the food that she batted on the floor, but there was still quite a bit in the ball that she didn't bat out. She LOVES her treats so I think she may be more interactive with the ball if they are in there, but I likely won't put too many in there. I usually only give her two at a time. Anyway her food is in her food dish now and hopefully she eats it.

 

[John Popp]

Our boy loves his puzzle feeder! Pretty much the same as the one mentioned, although egg shaped so it might roll a little wonkier. Chongo will nose it over until something comes out and then pull it back with his paws. Although he seemed to very much like a taste of kibble, he won't eat much of it from a bowl, but will roll that egg around until it's empty.

It also needs to be set on the most difficult setting with the smallest holes. Anything larger and then he devours the contents pretty rapidly. The other cats aren't quite as adept with it, with one being very methodical about and slowly rolling it with the other sitting on the sidelines waiting for a wayward cruncher to be overlooked by the other cats.

In all I think it's a great tool to have in the arsenal for the bored cat. When my ankles get repeatedly nibbled seeking attention for hours at a time it's a good diversion to keep them safe and a means to keep the boy out of trouble. At least for a half hour or so, because he won't stop batting it around until it's totally empty.