FP_adm1n, Author at Food Puzzles for Cats

Cardboard Cat Craft Creations (a food puzzle and more!) –

A toilet paper roll food puzzle.

A food puzzle for every budget! You can do so much with toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls.

Left: a one holed food puzzle. You can make it as easy as you'd like with as many holes as needed.

Right: a catnip dispenser! Cats can forage for other things beside food. Catnip scratch and sniff paper can be used or poke many teeny-tiny holes to dispense loose catnip, valerian, or silvervine!

A foraging catnip dispenser.

Make it a foraging pinata!

You can easily turn these cardboard tubes into foraging pinata's that hang and dangle from doorways.

Simply poke a hole in the tube and run a thick piece of cotton string through and tie a knot. Fold in the ends. Make as many openings as desired to dispense the food and boom! A homemade foraging pinata! Hang and let your cats enjoy.

Cardboard Cat Crafts!

Just a few other fun ideas with TP rolls! Why not?

Some kitties enjoy these even without food!

The Catit Spinner

This is a beginner puzzle that surprisingly kept a few master foragers occupied for a minute! It spins and swirls like a top, dispensing food out of one of three openings. The inside has a maze that prevents the food from dispensing too easily. It is good to offer novel puzzles from time to time to curb mental boredom.

The Doorway Dangli by Petsafe

In this video clip, you will see how both a kitten and a handicapable senior cat interacts with essentially a foraging pinata. This toy can be adjusted to varying heights. If they have to reach up to bat at it that increases the difficulty.

The Barnacle by Petsafe

Willow looking pleased with her accomplishment.

This is yet another dog toy that is great for cats too. It is a bit bulky and heavy, but if manipulated hard enough it will provide erratic movement. This toy is also great for cats that are chewers as it would be difficult to destroy. Some cats do like to gnaw on it.

Cut prongs to correlate with kibble size & desired difficulty.

Fill all three nodules with food.

Offer to your cat to explore.

Finn, gnawing on a large dog Barnacle!

Close up view.

The Peek – A – Prize Box by SmartCat

This is a versatile cat toy that can also be used as a food puzzle. This wooden box will hold the attention of young cats and kittens, but as cats get older they tend to lose interest, so re-purposing it as a food puzzle is a great way to rejuvenate interest!

Aikiou Junior Feeder

Yet another stationary food puzzle that is great for cats even though it is marketed towards dogs. This puzzle can be used for canned or dry food.

"I tried it and I liked it!"

Cheese Crate Foraging Box

This DIY food puzzle is basically a homemade version of the Peek-A-Prize box, only more challenging because it has fewer openings.

Start by placing cardboard inside to create a flat bottom. Expand holes as needed to accommodate your cat's paws. Then place food and toys inside for an easy DIY foraging game!

If you wish to increase the challenge further, simply fill small food puzzles such as the ping-pong balls or mini eggs by Fundamentally Feline for an even greater challenge! The more balls and mice inserted into the box creates more obstacles for your cat to navigate around while attempting to acquire the food.

You can make a food puzzle for your cat out of virtually anything!

First, a cardboard "floor" is inserted.

Add smaller food puzzles to increase the challenge.

The more obstacles the greater the difficulty.

Then sit back and watch your cat have fun eating!

Treat Mouse by Aikiou

Cats actually love this little treat mouse by Aikiou as a traditional cat toy and as a food puzzle. It is perfectly sized to mimic prey, dispenses small pieces of food and has a great overall feel. It is not very difficult but could be easily placed inside a larger food puzzle to create a greater challenge. Hiding it would make for a fun game too!

ThinKat by Aikiou

The ThinKat is a beautiful beginner food puzzle. Cats can either dig food out of the flowers or access food at the base of each flower. Extra flowers can be added to increase the depth and the petals are supple and can be folded inward (see photo below). This requires the cat to "unfold" the petals to gain access to the food. This is definitely a foraging toy you can proudly display in your living room when guests come over!

Click video above to see it in action!

A view from above.

The flowers fold in to increase the challenge.

Now unfolded with food inside.

Gettin’ Tipsy! Plastic beer bottle food puzzle.

Gettin' Tipsy!

Who knew? Apparently Bud Light is available in plastic bottles! What that means is that when you party, so do your cats!

When someone brought these to a gathering they quickly became a must have item, just so that they could be made into a foraging toy! Now, when you entertain, you can also have foraging toys out for your cats to use to further entertain your guests. Hilarious conversation piece!

"No. no. I'm totally still awake!"

Only one hole makes this puzzle more difficult.