I’ve written many times about how greedy Sampson is. He’s very food focused, and seems to be highly attuned to the sound of the food box being opened.
His food focus has been a problem. He tries to steal any human food that’s accidentally left anywhere he can get to. (Or some places that he shouldn’t be able to!) He eagerly licks clean the food bowls of the other cats and indeed will steal their food if given the opportunity. There have even been a couple of occasions that he has made himself sick from eating so quickly.
We seem to have finally found a solution for his meals. A solution that slows him down so that he doesn’t bring his food back up. As an added benefit, if he’s eating slower it gives more time for Elvis to finish his food without Sampson jumping up to steal it.
The solution is a little activity centre. We spotted it in the reward shop of the site we use for most of our cat-related shopping, and as we had enough points to get it we decided to try it out. I’m so glad we did – it’s fantastic.
The activity centre consists of two parts. The white base has little bumps on it to help keep the food from sliding around too freely. The blue dome clips on over the top leaving a few little openings perfectly sized for a paw to sweep into and pull bits of food out.
Using the activity centre requires Sampson to use his brain to get his food. He can’t just mindlessly wolf it down without a thought.
The first time we fed him with it he was a bit unsure. I had to show him how to hook the food out a couple of times before he would even attempt it. He’s gradually got used to it though and now uses it like a professional – his paw flashes in through the opening, curls around and swipes some of the pieces of food out where he eagerly munches on them.
Whilst he has got faster at eating from the activity centre as his proficiency and understanding of it increase, he is still eating at a much more reasonable pace than when he was just eating from a normal bowl.
It’s a good solution, I feel.
Love,
Lady Joyful
That’s such a good idea! My Otis is obsessed with food and woofs it down like there’s no tomorrow, constantly asking for food and vaccuming the floor with his snout too. I’m so glad there’s a solution!
It certainly seems to work for Sampson! I’d definitely suggest trying something similar for your Otis. Thanks for commenting 🙂
It is a very good solution, as cats are hunters and some of their time is spent hunting prey when humans do not interfere. So to make him hunt his kibble is not only slowing down his eating, it is also a very natural occupation therapy!
That’s very true! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
What a good idea -love that bowl 🙂 you can also get a different sort of spiral tube shaped one from Wilkos, have a look next time you’re here..or maybe online. 🙂
I shall look into it 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
What a great idea and happy it helped Samson..x
It definitely seems to have helped him! We’re considering getting some other kinds of food activity centres so we can change it up and give him a different one from time to time. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Can you share the link please ? Would it work for wet food ?
Susie
This is the one we have: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_toys/miscellaneous/treat_toys/297709 It does appear to be available on Amazon too.
I’m not sure if it works for wet food. I think it might, but it is designed for dry food. As the cat has to pull the food out of the container I think wet food would make quite a mess.
Thanks for commenting!
Cats have such diverse personalities. What a character!
They certainly do! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Oh the shame of a fellow cat lady as I think to my own adoptee, well names as Piglet, who has been on a few occasions been alleged to hog the food bowl from her brother.. maybe she could make use of this.. haha
It may well help! Although sometimes Sampson tries to abandon it in favour of Elvis’s easier to wolf down bowl of food – some supervision may still be necessary 😉 Thanks for commenting!
I’d be more inclined to sneak up onto that fine rump huddling over the stolen food than minding how it became such a rump in the first place @@ haha , they get away with most everything !
Ha, quite so!
It was so cute and touching to read your blog. We have just lost our adored black cat Lenny to thrombosis. He also LOVED his food and was so cheeky, loving and full of character. Thanks for sharing this. I have written a couple of poems about Lenny on my blog in case you have time to have a look but if not have a lovely weekend and hugs to Sampson 🙂
Sorry for your loss – Lenny looks very sweet in his photograph. The poems you wrote for him are lovely and really showcase the depth of your love for him.
Thanks very much. He was a very special cat. Glad you liked the photo 🙂