Puzzles for your Pet

Puzzles for your Pet
by Bernard Moran

As much as we love to spoil our dogs and cats, the easy life of a domesticated pet can have its downfalls — especially when it comes to meals. Dogs and cats are designed to spend hours each day working for their food. We essentially take this job away from them when we provide them with food in bowls. Along with a rise in obesity, due to overeating and less exercise, taking away the mental stimulation of hunting can cause behavioral issues that stem from boredom and separation anxiety. So let's make puzzles to fix it!

To help solve these problems, veterinarians recommend puzzle feeders, which make pets work for their food by using their paws or noses to open a compartment, dig into a container, or navigate a maze.

1. Ridged Dog Bowl

For a dog new to food puzzles, nearly all our experts suggest a bowl, that is divided by ridges so it’s slightly more difficult to eat from than a regular bowl. It’s a way to slow them down while they eat but it also triggers their mind to think through, How am I going to get this little piece of kibble from the very depths of this bowl when my tongue can’t just scoop it up? They just need to puzzle it together!

2. Ball Interactive Toy and Food Dispenser

A little ball has small holes that dispense treats when cats roll it around. You can make it easier with larger holes or more challenging by making the holes for the food smaller, which means more interactions are needed to get the food out. It helps them work for what they want!