To help solve these problems, veterinarians recommend puzzle feeders, which make pets work for their food by using their paws or noses to open a compartment, dig into a container, or navigate a maze. “We essentially take this job away from them when we provide them with food in bowls.” Along with causing your pet to gain weight if they’re overeating or not getting enough exercise, taking away the mental stimulation of hunting can cause behavioral issues that stem from boredom and separation anxiety. “Dogs and cats are designed to spend hours each day working for their food,” says Dr. Just be cautious and your kitty will have a blast with these brain busters.As much as we love to spoil our dogs and cats with toys, treats, and even fancy rain gear, the easy life of a domesticated pet can have its downfalls - especially when it comes to meals.

Not only does this make a mess, but it’s a choking hazard. WARNING: You should always keep an eye on your cats when they’re playing with any of these toys so they don’t start chewing them to bits. You can cut some larger holes if you want to give your cat a better chance of scooping out the food, or you can simply leave the box open and let your kitty use their paws to bat the food out. Put food in the carton and let your cats have at it. The toy in the video above may be the easiest food puzzle toy you can make. This is another toy that will slow your cat down from eating too fast while challenging them to use some problem-solving skills.

If a regular old water bottle seems too simple, you can try this toy that requires a bottle, a rubber band, a skewer, and a plastic ball.įollow the instructions and your cat will have a puzzle toy feeder at meal time. This will encourage your cat to use hunting, pouncing, and play skills. Eventually you can decrease the size or number of holes to make it a bit more challenging. Place food in the bottle and let your cat move it around to release the food. All it requires is a water bottle with some holes cut into it. The water bottle toy above is extremely simple. Then, you can remove the cups and place food and toys in the box, allowing your cat to bat things around and use their senses to detect the food. Your kitty will have to use some foraging instincts to scoop the food out.

Cut holes in the top of the box for the cups, and put food in the cups. You’ll need a cutting utensil, a shallow cardboard box, and a few plastic, paw-sized cups. The toy in the video above is kind of two toys in one. It will challenge your cat to figure out how to get at the food, and it will slow your kitty down if they eat too fast.

You can arrange them in any way you like, then put some food in the openings. All it requires is a flat piece of cardboard that you can glue paper towel rolls and plastic containers to. The video above doesn’t provide instructions for making this one, but as you can see, it’s fairly easy to make. One of the advantages of this toy is that it will probably last longer than the paper towel roll, and it will encourage your kitty to use problem-solving skills to get at the treats. The video above might make this puzzle seem more complicated than it is, but basically it calls for you to take a simple plastic container, cut paw-sized holes in the lid, and add a bell if you’d like to give your kitty something extra to bat at. This one will allow your cat to use their hunting instincts and challenge them to play for their food, reducing boredom.

Cat enrichment feeder