A Healthier Way to Feed Your Cat: Hide Its Meals

[TygrBright]

This looks extremely cool... we might try it out.

Our Feline Overlord already gets much of his food in the various 'puzzle boxes' to slow him down and prevent "scarf n' barf"...

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/business/a-healthier-way-to-feed-your-cat-hide-its-meals.html

hopefully,
Bright

[shenmue]

1. Nom nom

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I got my cats a sort of puzzle-box feeder

where they have to dig the food out with their paws. All three of them stared at me with a look like, "Seriously? You expect us to fish our food out with our paws instead of chowing it down from our bowls? Seriously?" I also got a thing called a Pull-n-Play, which is a little weighted toy that can be tipped over and then pops back up again. You fill it with food and the cat is supposed to knock it over so bits of food fall out of a hole in the side. You can also set it up with "antennae" made of some sort of extruded edible substance. When presented with this thing one cat quickly devoured the antennae and then figured out, within minutes, how to roll the toy around to get all the food out right away.

Another cat is the Vomit Queen. She doesn't like the puzzle feeders. She just wants to eat as fast as possible so she can puke where I'm sure to step in it.

[ginnyinWI]

3. but wet food is healthier than dry food

You can't hide wet food all over, lol!

My cats hardly ever puke anymore. They get a half can wet food daily and just 3-4T. dry food (no wheat corn or soy).

[Freddie]

4. I wish my boys would eat more wet food

I adopted them as kittens from a home that fed them exclusively Purina Kitten Chow. Tried every kind of canned food and they take a bite or two and that's it. A year later they will eat half a (little) can of Variety grain-free cuts-and-gravy flavors but they love their Purina One Indoor Advantage. They will soon have their one-year checkup and the vet's going to yell at me because they're both on the pudgy side, especially Charlie. Very healthy otherwise and neither has ever puked!

[ginnyinWI]

5. keep trying!

I have one who prefers dry food. And yes she is pudgy--she is a larger breed, Maine Coon mix, and weighs about two pounds too much at 14 lbs. But I hold the line.

Sometimes I have to put a few pieces of kibble on top of her canned meal to get her "started". And I have to give the dry food at a different time, otherwise she will just eat that and walk away from the canned (and the other cat gobbles it up).