Starting a cat on a puzzle feeder
Move part of your cat's dry food into a food puzzle, so they work for it as they would when hunting.
What you need
- Puzzle feeder — shop-bought
- Your pet's regular food or kibble
How to do it
- Only start once your cat is well and eating their usual food normally.
- Put a few pieces of dry food into the puzzle feeder, on its easiest setting, next to the usual bowl.
- Let your cat discover that batting or pawing it releases food. Keep the bowl too.
- Over days, move more of the dry food into the puzzle and make it a little harder.
⚠️ Safety
Supervision: Watch the first few times.
Keep the normal bowl until you know your cat is getting enough food from the puzzle. With several cats, give each cat its own puzzle in a separate spot.
👀 What to watch for
If your cat stops eating or seems frustrated, make it easier or go back to the bowl. Talk to your vet if appetite drops.
Try next
Box and paper-bag hideout
A cardboard box and a paper bag on the floor: somewhere to hide, ambush from and explore, for free.
Cat target training
Teach your cat to touch a chopstick with their nose. It is fun mental exercise and later helps with the carrier or the scale.
Kibble treasure hunt
Small portions of your cat's dry food hidden around the home, so a meal becomes a hunt.
Toilet-roll slow feeder
A toilet-roll tube with holes cut along its side and kibble inside. Your cat bats it around and food drops out.
Toy rotation box
Keep most toys in a box and put out only a few at a time. Swapping them every few days makes old toys feel new.
Wand toy hunt
A short play session where a wand toy moves like prey, so your cat can stalk, chase, pounce and catch.