This is a very complicated food puzzle. It is two sided, features a maze within the toy on both sides and requires the cats to wobble or flip the toy entirely to dispense food. As this video demonstrates, not all hunting expeditions are successful. She walks away without success but that is ok, intermittent reinforcement keeps the animal doing the behavior! Practice makes perfect. Remember that novel food is helpful to stimulate interest and drive motivation. If your goal is weight loss or busting boredom the toys should be challenging and make them work hard!
Flower Tower by Trixie Pet
This is an intricate, brains over brawn, food puzzle originally designed for dogs, but that won’t stop us! This puzzle features four swiveling layers but access is only granted once the large base cones are removed. That is the challenge, the cat must do one section of the puzzle in efforts for the next to be revealed. All levels can be rearranged for constant variety! This is definitely a toy for the experienced forager.
The Snoop
Yet another toy designed and marketed for dogs that is great for cats as well. This toy can work for dry or wet food and can be manipulated to achieve different challenge levels, though as a whole it is a beginner toy.
The Bob-A-Lot
This is a weighted and challenging food puzzle designed originally for small to medium sized dogs, but is no match for an experienced foraging cat! Featuring an adjustable opening and a difficult to grip exterior, this toy is sure to slow down a cat that eats too quickly.
Treat Mouse by Aikiou
Cats actually love this little mouse 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!
Cat Amazing
This foraging box is complex and unique as it offers many different compartments for a unique foraging experience. For those looking for products not made of plastic this is a nice alternative. It is a more challenging stationary toy for the more experienced forager.
Slide and Feed by Trixie Pet
A great beginner puzzle designed for wet or dry food. If your cat is just starting out this is an excellent toy to teach them the game.
Domino Foraging Board by Trixie Pet
This stationary food puzzle offers a wide array of obstacles. This board can be used for dry food and treats or wet food can be placed in the tongue module. It can be rearranged in any configuration and each of the four pieces can be used separately or all together as shown in this video.
The Digger by Catit
Another great beginner toy that can be used for wet or dry food. This is a stationary puzzle that hones your cats paw fishing skills!
Foraging Cubes by Fundamentally Feline
Foraging cubes are one of the most difficult food puzzles you can offer your cat. Most cats are initially pretty stumped by cubes but once they do get the hang of it they are unstoppable! Foraging ping-pong balls can also be combined with these cubes to further increase the challenge. Simply fill ping-pong with dry food, place inside the cube and offer that to your cat. This way they have to accomplish acquiring food from two objects at once! A puzzle for the Kitty Einstein/Master Forager for sure!
Increase the challenge!
