If your feline is bored, not much involved in any other activities and if they are in need of little exercise then creating a puzzle feeder for him or her can be a great way of getting them involved in some activity. If your feline is used to eating his or her food extremely fast then a puzzle feeder is a great way of making them eat their food at a regular pace.
A puzzle feeder will help in challenging your feline to fetch some food. It will help in keeping them engrossed in an activity and give them an opportunity for enrichment. In addition to that, it will also help in their mental and physical stimulation.
You can DIY these simple puzzle feeders for your furry baby by using some basic materials available at home. Mentioned below are the top three puzzle feeder ideas for your furry baby.
A Turtle Feeder:
Materials-
- Egg carton
- Nontoxic glue
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Binder clips
- Decorating materials
Method-
- Take an egg carton and cut an egg cup, the egg cup will serve as the shell of the turtle.
- Take another cup and place it adjacent to the shell cup on the other side of the top carton cup. Trace a line around the perimeter of the cup to contour the space, forming the head of the turtle and a base to store some dry food inside the shell.
- Cut a part of the carton to create a lid for the outline you’ve made.
- Add glue around the edges of the cup and clamp the two pieces together using a binder clip. Allow the glue to set.
- Make use of non-toxic crayons or water colours to decorate or paint your turtle feeder.
- Fill some dry cat food inside the turtle feeder and let your furry one bat it about to get its reward.
Reach Box Feeder:
Material-
- Shoebox
- Three or more plastic bottles or glasses (8-ounce to 24-ounce)
- X-ACTO or utility knife
- Duct tape or non-toxic glue
Method-
- Take plastic bottles and clean them well. Cut off the top of the plastic bottles depending on the height of the bottle that you will require for your feline.
- Take a shoebox and make markings for the hole in which you will be placing the plastic bottles. Repeat this process depending on the number of bottles you will place in the box.
- Make holes on the top of the box using a knife. Making a slightly smaller hole in the box will help in holding the bottle in place without using tape or glue. You can still secure the bottles in place by using non-toxic glue or duct tape.
- Keep the box with bottle openings on the top and put food inside the bottle. Your furry baby will have to reach inside the bottle to scoop out some food.
Wheel feeder:
Material-
- Round food container with a lid. Containers that are used for sour cream or cream cheese. (Don't use PVC-based containers)
- Spare container lid
- Non-toxic glue.
- X-ACTO or utility knife
Method-
- Take a round container and clean it well. Make little holes on the sides of the container.
- Make holes depending on the size of the cat food you will be using. Ensure that the hole is large enough for the cat’s food to easily pass through.
- Take the spare container lid and attach it to the bottom or the other side of the container. It will create a wheel life effect for the container, allowing the feeder to easily roll.
- Add some cat food into the container and let your furry baby experience some exciting playtime with the wheel feeder.
