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Danny's Cats

Feeding and nutrition

Puzzle feeder

Also called Food puzzle, Slow feeder, Foraging toy, Treat ball

Updated

What is a puzzle feeder for cats?

A puzzle feeder is a toy or dish a cat has to work at to get its food, by pawing kibble through holes, rolling a ball or licking food from ridges. The AAFP recommends puzzle feeders as a way to let cats forage for small, frequent meals at home.

What kinds of puzzle feeders are there?

A 2016 review of food puzzles in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery splits them into two kinds. Mobile puzzles, often a ball, egg or tube, drop food as the cat rolls or pushes them and usually hold dry food. Stationary puzzles have a sturdy base with holes, cups or channels, and their wells can hold wet food to lick out. Slow-feed bowls, spiked plates and lick mats are simpler: they break a meal into smaller mouthfuls without asking the cat to solve anything.

Why do people use one?

To slow a cat that gulps its food and to give an indoor cat something to do. VCA notes that cats who eat too fast can regurgitate their food and that interactive feeders make them eat more slowly. The AAFP's feeding statement describes frequent small meals as normal for cats and suggests puzzle feeders as one way to offer them.

How do you introduce one?

Start easy. The 2016 review says getting food out of a new puzzle should at first be as easy as eating from a bowl, with the widest openings and a generous fill, then made harder step by step. It warns that a puzzle a cat cannot solve can lead to frustration and even fearful or aggressive behavior.

What to look for

  • Settings that let you start easy and make it harder later
  • Whether it takes your cat's food: dry, wet or both
  • Which parts are dishwasher safe
  • A size and shape that suit your cat's face and your floor space

Starting with a puzzle that is too hard

A cat that cannot get its food out quickly gives up or gets frustrated. Begin with the easiest setting and a generous fill, and make it harder only once your cat empties it without fuss.

Questions about puzzle feeder

Will a puzzle feeder stop my cat from vomiting?

A puzzle feeder may help with vomiting only if the cause is eating too fast, and even then it may just help. Vomiting has many causes. Cornell Feline Health Center advises seeing a veterinarian promptly if a cat vomits more than once a week or seems lethargic.

Can a puzzle feeder help my cat lose weight?

A puzzle feeder can be part of a weight plan, because it slows eating and some puzzles get a cat moving, but the daily amount of food matters most. Ask your veterinarian for a target weight and daily portion before you change anything.

Where this comes up

Sources