This thoughtfully designed slow feeder can hold both wet and dry food and resembles a waffle with its ridged grid, which creates a barrier to slow down rapid eating. “It doesn’t require any searches or problem-solving.” So while you may eventually want to graduate to more involved feeders, starting your pet off with the Lickimat is a great way to introduce them to puzzle feeders and keep them engaged and entertained for long stretches of time.įeeder type: Ridged slow feeder | Food type: Wet and dry food | Material: Porcelain When Strategist writer Arielle Avila bought one for her dog, Maggie, she reported that Maggie “licked for 15 minutes straight, not even looking up to bark at squirrels scurrying past our window.” The mat’s simplicity is “exactly what makes it work,” Avila writes. “There’s something about it that calms them when they have to work at licking this food off.” “They were originally designed for hyper dogs to lick peanut butter off, but cats like it too,” Benjamin says. The licking motion can also soothe your pet, according to Kate Benjamin, founder of the stylish cat-gear website Hauspanther. “It slows them down and gets them physically involved because it’ll move and they can pull it around, but it won’t smear food all over your house,” says Kerrie McKeon, resident cat expert at the animal-welfare-and-adoption organization Bideawee. It’s suitable for both cats and dogs its fairly uncomplicated grooved design works with both dry and wet chow and won’t make a mess of your floors, and its rubber material is durable and easy to clean, so it will last for years. The LickiMat is a tried-and-true option that comes recommended by multiple experts. Delgado advises.įeeder type: Grooved slow feeder | Food type: Wet and dry food | Material: Rubber It provides them with enrichment that can keep them happy and busy,” Dr. “A big part of it is just keeping our pets occupied so they’re not bored and getting into trouble in other ways. Hunting puzzles that are shaped like balls or mice can be batted around and pounced on, allowing your pet to practice chasing. Some puzzle feeders come equipped with moving parts your pet can interact with such as tubes, levers, or sliding compartments they must navigate to get their food. Puzzle feeders and hunting feeders are mostly designed to provide mental stimulation for your pet and activate their natural instincts, which may be underused if they’re just lounging around all day. Mikel Delgado, are mostly intended for cats and dogs who “eat too fast, maybe steal food from other pets, or ‘scarf and barf,’ as they say.” Since your pet has to work a little harder to get at their food, these puzzles will help prevent them from eating too much too quickly. Slow feeders generally look like more complex versions of regular food bowls and, according to cat-behavior consultant Dr. Puzzle food bowls can usually be classified as slow feeders, puzzle feeders, or hunting feeders. Their recommendations, below, include puzzles of varying difficulty. We asked Coates, Satchu, Ward, and 12 other veterinarians, animal-behavior experts, and pet owners to share their favorite food puzzles for dogs and cats. Both vets agree it’s also important to rotate the food puzzles you use so your pet doesn’t get bored with the same one. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, says, “Start simple, and you will graduate up” to puzzles of increasing complexity. Zay Satchu, co-founder and chief veterinary officer of Bond Vet, says the key to introducing a puzzle feeder is to find a “really high-value treat” that your pet is willing to work hard for, then start with an easy puzzle that doesn’t require much problem solving. 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. “We essentially take this job away from them when we provide them with food in bowls.” Along with causing your pet to gain weight if they’re overeating or not getting enough exercise, taking away the mental stimulation of hunting can cause behavioral issues that stem from boredom and separation anxiety. “Dogs and cats are designed to spend hours each day working for their food,” says Dr. As much as we love to spoil our dogs and cats with toys, treats, and even fancy rain gear, the easy life of a domesticated pet can have its downfalls - especially when it comes to meals.
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