02/08/2022
How can we be more cat friendly in our approach to feeding? 🤔
Cats, like Domino, have evolved from solitary hunters. They would have fed on frequent (perhaps as many as ten) meals of small mice and birds throughout the day to meet their nutritional needs. Our cats still require this ‘small and often’ way of feeding, but many cats are only fed two large meals.
🧩️ Puzzle feeding is enriching - exercising their body and brain to use their natural wild hunting instincts. Puzzle feeders can be of varying shapes, sizes and difficulty. We would always recommend starting with a simple design to successfully encourage interest.
🧩️ We can make puzzle feeders at home from readily available items! 🏠
😺 Egg cartons – start with the lid open and place kibble inside, gradually build the difficulty by closing the lid
😺 Cardboard tubes – these can be used with kibble placed inside and the cat rolls it along the floor, or they can be taped together in a pyramid structure fixed to a wall with kibble placed inside to paw out. Increase the difficulty by placing scrunched up tissue paper in the ends
😺 Shoe boxes – secure the lid with tape and cut holes around the box that are large enough the cat can access with its paw without becoming trapped. Securing cardboard tubes and small boxes to the lid can increase difficulty
😺 Plastic bottles – cut holes around the circumference of the bottle which, when rolled, will deposit kibble. Make the holes smaller to increase difficulty
😺 Silicone lick mat – provides a wet puzzle feeding option to slow down eating and make the food last longer by spreading it across the mat
Commercial puzzle feeders are available in many varieties including balls with holes in, play mice with compartments to place kibble in that can be hidden around the home and interactive slow feeding stations.
The cats daily feeding ration can be used in the puzzle feeders throughout the day, treats (commercial and otherwise) can be used initially to gain interest in the puzzle feeders, transitioning to their normal diet when they are successfully using the feeders.
⏲ Timed feeders provide the opportunity to deliver small quantities of food within several, separate compartments that rotate to a selected timed program - perfect for providing small meals overnight. 🌃
Microchip feeders provide individualised access to food which can be beneficial when feeding specific diets to individual cats in a multi-cat home. 🐈 🐈⬛
We would love to see photos in the comments of your cat enjoying their favourite puzzle feeder! 📸 👇
