Making My Own Slow Feeder

[Merlin77]

My cats are busy kitties, and as a result they are always hungry. We are not always around to feed them, so we leave dry food. The problem is, I don't want them over-eating/eating too fast.

There is no way I'm spending money on a timed feeder--that money is better spent on actual food. I hear timed feeders cost $70+.

So, does anyone have any tips on how to alter a gravity feeder so that the cats eat more slowly? Or does anyone know of a feeder that is cheap but still accomplishes this purpose?

Also please be aware that I would love to feed them an all wet/raw diet but our lifestyle does not allow for that all of the time.

Thank you!

 

[pipperoo]

you can put balls (tennis, golf, toys) into a dish with kibble and it forces them to slow down while getting the balls out of the way so they can get at kibble. You could also leave bits of kibble in various spots around the house, at different heights. They get to "hunt" for food....

 

[Merlin77]

you can put balls (tennis, golf, toys) into a dish with kibble and it forces them to slow down while getting the balls out of the way so they can get at kibble. You could also leave bits of kibble in various spots around the house, at different heights. They get to "hunt" for food....

They are outside cats (essentially a tame feral colony) so we can't spread around the food but we'll try the balls. Probably a tennis ball or bigger because I wouldn't put it past them to eat anything smaller!