5 Cat Food Puzzle Games for Enrichment

Upgrade your cat’s food bowl with a cat food puzzle!

Puzzle feeders aren’t just for dogs. Kittens, adult cats, and senior cats can benefit from interactive enrichment activities too!

Inspired by dog puzzle toys, cat food puzzles are here to encourage your kitty’s natural hunting instincts and keep boredom at bay.

Why should I feed my cat from a cat food puzzle?

Not only can puzzle toys enrich your cat’s daily life, but feeding your cat from one is great for their digestive health as well.

Cats that eat too much, too quickly are susceptible to bloat (also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus or GDV), an often deadly condition that compresses the organs, causing the stomach to turn in on itself.

One of the easiest ways to prevent bloat and keep your pet from eating too fast is by feeding them from a slow feeder or puzzle toy.

Cat food puzzles act as a slow feeder that doubles as a mentally-stimulating game. It’s a purr-fect toy for curious cats since it helps encourage their natural instincts like foraging.

5 Cat Toys & Puzzle Games for Enrichment

Indoor cats require mental stimulation in order to prevent boredom. Boredom can lead to trouble, as a bored kitty may find interest in clawing at your furniture or favorite sweater.

With food puzzles for cats, you can hide cat treats or kibble in various food compartments that require your kitty to think strategically. Most cat puzzles can hold both dry food and wet food.

Put your cat’s problem-solving skills to work with the following treat puzzles and food dispensers!

1. Melon Madness Puzzle & Play

This best cat puzzle from Petstages and Nina Ottosson is a favorite of cat owners. Cats bat at the pegs and swivel the black “seeds” of this dual-sided game to uncover treats in the six hidden treat compartments and inside the six pegs. This was inspired by our dog toy puzzles and can hold up to a 1/4 cup of food if you want to use it for mealtime.

2. Rainy Day Puzzle & Play

Cats can “hunt” for their reward by batting the pegs and swatting the raindrops to reveal hidden treats.

Adjust the difficulty level of the cat puzzle feeder as your kitty learns. For beginners place the treats in the cups for easier play; for increased difficulty place treats in the hole of the peg piece so cats have to slide the peg to reach the treats.

3. Buggin’ Out Feeder Toy

With a total of 16 hidden treat compartments in this food puzzle toy, it’s sure to keep cats occupied for a while. This interactive feeder will have them buggin’ during playtime.

4. Hunt N’ Swat Treat Tumbler

Featuring an enticing feather, this interactive cat toy treat dispenser keeps curious cats engaged by tumbling and rolling as cats bat and swat. The treat ball is easy to fill with treats or kibble using the twist cap.

5. Mousin’ Around Hide & Treat

This treat toy includes three mice you can stuff with goodies and hide around your house for your cat to hunt.

No Puzzle? No Problem!

If you don’t have pet products like cat puzzles and treat dispensing ball toys, you can always DIY it.

One handy DIY puzzle you can make is with an egg carton. Simply fill the compartments with food or treats, close the lid, and let your cat figure out how to release the goodies.

You can also simply hide treats around the house for your cat to hunt, find, and eat, which will give them both mental and physical exercise. No additional equipment is needed!

For more cat food puzzles, catnip toys, teasers, scratchers, and more, visit our website, Amazon, Chewy, or your local independent pet shop.