Food puzzles for cats have so many uses. They are an excellent form of enrichment as well as mental exercise and stimulation. You can even feed your cat exclusively through puzzle toys and feeders.
In this episode, I chat with cat behaviorist Ingrid Johnson about cat food puzzles – what they are, and how and why to use them. Food puzzles are a great form of enrichment and mental exercise for cats, so you won’t want to miss this info from Ingrid!
Cats are amazing, and they’re meant to think and problem solve and hunt and work. They’re opportunistic hunters, and they are strategic hunters, but they still need to put some effort into it once in a while. They need to be presented with what we call positive frustration.
Ingrid Johnson, cat behaviorist
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Overview of the Episode:
- How and why Ingrid began feeding all her cats from cat food puzzles
- The cats’ need for “positive frustration”
- The process of transitioning your cat from free-feeding to eating from food puzzles
- How to use food puzzles if your cat only eats wet food
- Starting with easier food puzzles
- Stationary vs rolling food puzzles
- Moving on to more difficult food puzzles
- Puzzle toy recommendations
- How to feed from food puzzles with multiple cats
- What to do if your cat isn’t food motivated
- Foraging games and activities
- Foraging activities that don’t involve food
Resources & Recommended Gear:
PetSafe Egg-Cersizer Interactive Toy and Meal Dispenser
Foraging Cup, made by Ingrid Johnson
All food puzzles made by Ingrid, including the “gears”
Maximizing Use of Your Food Puzzles Tutorial Video
Live Video Episode Replay
This podcast episode originally aired as a livestream episode. You can watch the episode on YouTube below:
Where to Find Ingrid:
Website: www.fundamentallyfeline.com
Instagram: @fundamentallyfeline
Facebook: Fundamentally Feline
YouTube: Fundamentally Feline
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About the Author
Emily Hall is a cat trainer and cat adventure enthusiast. As “mom” to seven cats, one dog, and two sugar gliders, she has been writing in the pet industry for 10 years, with a focus on traveling and adventuring with cats. Emily and her husband enjoy hiking, road-tripping, camping, and canoeing with their three cat adventurers. Read more about her here.
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