Hey Pet Parents & Pet Lovers,
Keeping Beau busy can get tricky, but we’ve got it pretty much under control now. We play with Beau about 30-minutes every day, have 5 feeder toys around the house to keep him occupied (we split his 1/3 meal between them all) and we make sure to give him plenty of love and attention!
Today I’m going to show you how I make the cardboard box feeder toys that he loves so much!
1. Take Any Size Cardboard Box
The bigger, the better I usually say. The bigger the box is, the more weight it has, so it makes it less likely for your little one to push the box around the house. It also makes sure that they have a chance at grabbing the kibble or treats inside of the box. If you use a smaller box, you can also weigh it down with larger pebbles, or a desk weight. We’ve tried lighter boxes with Beau and he loses interest if he can’t get his treats (and yes, I know these are teaser toys, but cats need some sort of reward, right?)
2. Use a Box with a Side Opening
Cats are smart and tend to figure out how to open their toys. Given our trial and error, we found boxes that open from the side last longer with Beau, because he found ways of putting pressure on the top allowing him easy access to the food. He’s discovered this trick with a couple of his other feeder toys, which is why we actually have to put text books on top of them, to make sure he’s actually solving the puzzles instead.
3. Use Scissors or a Knife to Cut Holes
Here’s your chance to get creative! Make a bunch of shapes inside of the cardboard. Don’t make them too big though! The ideal size is little bigger than your little one’s paws. The hope is that some kibble (or treats) get stuck behind the cardboard and your kitty has to paw around trying to find them! Make sure you have a few holes that are higher up to let your cat see into the box. Beau will take always look before he paws into a box. (Sometimes boxes scare him for some reason.)When cutting holes make sure that you cut right down to the bottom. If there is a little lip it can cause tremendous difficulty for your little one to get access to the food/treats. At first we thought it might be a good idea, but it really proved wrong when Beau didn’t want anything to do with the toys.
4. Fill your new feeder toy with a bit of food (but make sure it’s at the back)
The further the food is from your little one, the more time it takes for them to get the food. It also keeps them busy for a longer amount of time. Your little one will make periodic visits to the box to see if it has been refilled (or to collect food that s/he has missed.)
5. Make Sure to Throw Out Boxes Every So Often
Not does this create new challenges for your kitty, cardboard also soaks up a lot of the oil that’s inside of kibble and treats. It’s pretty gross to think about, but that’s just how the world works, am I right? Your box may also collect debris or hair (like any other product in your house) and since most cardboard boxes are free (since you get them everywhere) there shouldn’t be an issue with changing your boxes around every so often! Keep your pet busy, healthy and safe!
Watch Beau Eat: