Benefits of Food Puzzles for Cats

This is a sponsored post*

I love the concept behind food puzzles, also known as foraging toys or puzzle toys. Even though most food puzzles are not designed to be used with canned or raw food, and I’m a firm advocate that cats should not eat dry food, you can still take advantage of these toys by using freeze dried treats instead of dry food or treats. And while I don’t recommend feeding a lot of fish based food or treats, bonita tuna flakes also work well for these toys, since you only need a very small amount to get your little hunter excited.

Food puzzles come in a lot of different shapes and forms, ranging from a ball that holds treats to elaborate mazes with obstacles cats have to figure out to get to the treats. Some puzzles feature holes or cups that require cats to fish out the treats.

According to a 2019 study by the University of California, Davis, only 30 percent of cat owners surveyed used food puzzles. 52 percent had never tried them. “Before cats were domesticated, they lived in the wild where they hunted for food,” said lead author Mikel Delgado, Phd, an established cat expert at Feline Minds and author of Play With Your Cat. “Then humans came along and took their jobs away.”

Food puzzles provide many benefits:

Mental stimulation

A bored cat is an unhappy cat. Food puzzles help cats express their natural hunting behavior, thus eliminating boredom and reducing stress and anxiety.

Physical exercise

Play and hunting behavior forces even lazy cats to get some exercise, which is good for cats’ physical and mental health and may even promote weight loss.

Behavioral modification

Food puzzles, along with other behavior modification techniques, can help with issues such as inappropriate elimination and attention seeking behavior.

How to get your cat started with food puzzles

Most cats will figure out food puzzles fairly quickly when a highly desirable treat is used. Don’t make it too hard when you first introduce a puzzle.  “When starting out with a food puzzle, it’s important to make it easy for the cat at first so they can figure it out and not become frustrated,” said Delgado. “At the same time, you want to make sure it’s challenging enough that it provides some activity and mental stimulation.”

To help you choose the right puzzle for your cat, visit Food Puzzles for Cats, a fantastic website created by Mikel Delgado and feline behaviorist Ingrid Johnson.

Can food puzzles replace bowl feeding?

Some cat experts and veterinarians recommend replacing your cat’s regular bowl with food puzzles. Since I don’t recommend dry food, I can’t get behind this recommendation, but I believe food puzzles are a wonderful addition to a wholefood raw or canned diet.

Darwin’s Natural Pet Food is our choice for a raw meat diet.

About Darwin’s Natural Pet Food

Darwin’s raw food can be fed to cats of all ages, and they’re doing everything right, both in terms of what’s in the food and what’s not:

• 100% meat – no animal-by-products or fillers
• Ethically sourced human grade ingredients from farms they trust
• Formulated under the guidance of veterinary nutritionists
• Free range, pasture raised, cage-free meats
• No GMO
• No steroids
• No hormones
• Made fresh: you will receive your meals 4-6 weeks from production
• Ready to serve

Delivered right to your door

Darwin’s is packed in eco-friendly packaging with dry ice to ensure that food is shipped and delivered safely. The packaging can be recycled or composted. They offer a convenient autoship schedule so you’ll never have to worry about running out of food. The timing of delivery is flexible, and Darwin’s friendly customer service team will gladly adjust your schedule as needed.

Feeding Darwin’s is as easy as opening a can

The food come packaged in convenient 8 ounce sealed packs. It takes about 24 hours for one pack to thaw in the refrigerator, so feeding is no harder than feeding canned food. The only difference is that instead of opening a can, you’re defrosting a pack of food.

Special offer: Get 50% off your first 10 pounds

Darwin’s has an introductory offer that can’t be beat so you can try this for your own cats: get your first 10 pounds at half price. You can customize the proteins depending on your cat’s taste preferences.

Use code PURRSOFWISDOM to take advantage of this special offer.

For more information and to order, please visit DarwinsPet.com.

Photo at of post is of Allegra using the Sushi Treat Puzzle. Photo of black cat via Darwin’s Facebook page, used with permission.

*This post is sponsored by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. Purrs of Wisdom is an affiliate partner of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves