You really can make a food puzzle out of just about anything!
These objects can increase or decrease in difficulty depending on how many holes you make and how full you fill the toy.
When there are only a few pieces left it can be challenging whereas a full toy is much easier.
This is an odd and unique shape which adds some nice variety to what hopefully becomes a large collection of foraging toys. Remember it is important to offer many different puzzles for the benefit of mental enrichment!
This is an amazing food puzzle you can make with a yogurt container and a few other household items! I was first introduced to this feeder when I was called to help two kitties get along better. One of them, Satchel, was a pro!
Full instructions available on the Instructables website!
While Ian Tunnicliffe didn't post any instructions, it would be pretty easy to throw together a similar design with a dowel, some plastic water bottles, and something to hold the dowel securely. If you put something together like this, let us know! And we think your cat could master this toy as well as this cute Westie!
Do not let the dog photos on the packaging deter you from trying these toys out with your cats.
Cats are quite capable of using these puzzles only they do so in a different way. Dogs lick out these bowls with their tongues where cats scoop the food out with their paws.
These objects are not too terribly difficult however, each different colored bowl provides a different maze/puzzle challenge. The interior portions of the maze are a bit more out of reach and increase the challenge for the cats.
Cut some holes in a plastic take out container, and you're ready to get your cat started. This video features some soul music to get you revved up.
Just add a strip of cardboard to add to the complexity!
This treat tower certainly requires some previous foraging experience.
Cats must work food down each level of the Catit Food Maze to finally achieve a piece of food that has fallen through into the base/food tray.
There is an adjustable plate at the middle tier that allows for the openings to be made smaller to increase the challenge.
For gregarious foragers, a weight, rock or other heavy object can be placed in the base/tray to weight toy down so it does not topple over.
And, as is true for most Catit products, this food puzzle comes with a pressure point mat to ease paw fatigue while diligently working for kibble!
Add a tissue box and you can do even more! It appears we could have a whole page of food puzzles you can make with toilet paper rolls!
Phil made a really cute food ball out of a toilet paper roll - showing that you can get creative with the simplest of materials!
This video offers instruction on how to feed a multi-cat household with foraging toys. It explains the importance of feeding cats this way and how to make this style of feeding easier for the humans. Staging the difficulty level of the toys and making your own food puzzles is covered as well.