Puzzle Feeders

LittleShadow

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Not sure if this is the exact right spot, but it's related to food, so here I go. I'm trying to help Molly get a bit of her extra chub off, and since she doesn't like interactive play (why play with the toy, when you could cuddle the human?), I thought I'd try puzzle feeders to slow down her eating.

Any suggestions for puzzle feeders? I've ordered a couple from amazon, but I wasn't sure if anyone wanted to chime in with their favorites.
 

maggie101

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I have 2 different trixie puzzles. Instead of my cats bothering me while I prepare their meal. I cut up some treats in tiny pieces and hide them. Only problem is ants so be sure to clean the floor after use. It hasn't happened yet. I like the first one
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LittleShadow

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The white one is one of the two I ordered! Glad to know it works for you!
 

susanm9006

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I have had several - a tall tree with multiple levels, roly poly that had to be pushed over to get the great, a round flat puzzle with doors that need to be pushed to reach treats and Willow’s favorite a plastic water bottle that has holes cut in it so she needs to roll it around to get her treats.

Willow thought the tree was way too much work. She pretty much just gave up on it after a few days. Same with the Roly Poly. She works the easier doors in the flat round puzzle feeder but often leaves treats behind because she cant figure out how to get to them although she doesn’t spend much time trying.

But every night at around 8:00 pm she finds the homemade treat bottle where ever it is and bangs it around and against walls until she gets my attention and I fill it for her. She will usually gets treats from it all night long. Here is the bottle and the round puzzle feeder.
 

DreamerRose

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Mingo used to scarf down his kibble, and then throw it up because he ate so fast. So I got one of those roly-poly jobs, which slowed him down a lot.

If your cat is chubby, you will need to reduce Molly's food. My chubkins, Lily, is now on a diet of 1/4 cup kibble in the morning, and one portion Sheba pate in the evening. It's not a lot, but she does well on it, and loses the extra poundage.
 
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LittleShadow

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Yep. I've reduced how much she gets, but now that she's eating without being coaxed into it, she's like "but....where's the food? I ate my morning serving, and it's been five whole minutes, I want more." I've tried to explain it to her, but you know how well that works. I figure if it takes her longer than a minute flat to scarf her food, she might not beg as much.

She begs by walking ALL over you, especially in front of anything you're doing, and kneading with claws and refusing to settle or to play with offered toys. She's tried waking me to get fed, and I respond by closing her out of my room and refusing to feed her for at least half an hour, even if it was only two minutes before I'd normally get up. She only tries that every once in a while.
 

maggie101

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My 3 cats eat only wet. 7,8, and 9 pds. I know many people do not have the time to feed their cats 3x a day. I only work 10-3 most days
 

susanm9006

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Here is another alternative to slow down her eating. The only way to get to the kibble is to scoop it out a piece at at a time. It’s called a slow bowl and is available on Amazon.
 

maggie101

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In the morning Maggie eats half a 5.5 oz can. Eats some then comes back 5 minutes later for more. Very slow eater so it takes 30 minutes to feed my cats. Mornings only she must have shredded chicken mixed in. If it's not there she will sniff the other bowls then walk away or sit in front of her bowl and stare at me
 

njg55

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I'm looking for slow feeders for wet/canned food. I have a number of puzzle or foraging toys already and just realized that I could use certain compartments for the wet food after exlucsively putting dry food in them all this time. My girls aren't enthusiastic about this new serving method, but I guess they'll learn that's where the goodies are. But I'm looking for more ideas, perhaps one of the "slow feeder" devices, again specifically for the canned food. Any ideas?
 

kittenmittens84

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I'm looking for slow feeders for wet/canned food. I have a number of puzzle or foraging toys already and just realized that I could use certain compartments for the wet food after exlucsively putting dry food in them all this time. My girls aren't enthusiastic about this new serving method, but I guess they'll learn that's where the goodies are. But I'm looking for more ideas, perhaps one of the "slow feeder" devices, again specifically for the canned food. Any ideas?
I use a puzzle bowl/mat for my cat’s treats and on occasion do put wet food in it, it’s very similar to this: IQ Treat Mats™ Entertain - Hyper Pet the flexible silicone/rubber rather than hard plastic or metal is key because otherwise it’s very difficult to clean.
 
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