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Cat treat photo by the author. |
I have gotten my cats various treat toys over the years. The one before the current one, that is pictured above, was a plastic round ball, that had a hole in it where the treats could fall out of as the ball was rolled. The one that we had, had a hole size that could be adjusted to make it easier or harder for the treats to fall out of. Our cat did seem to enjoy it to an extent, but it did not seem to be a favorite toy. I did not find the particular cat ball treat dispenser that we had, on Amazon.
Last Christmas, I came across the ladybugs and leaves design cat treat toy. With this toy, the treats seemed to be more directly retrieved from the toy. It's been over eight months now, and it is still a hit with our cat. There was a little bit of a learning curve at the very beginning, but it did not take long for her to figure it out. The way to get treats from this toy was a lot more straight forward. It was and is still a winner; it has two paws up from our cat. She comes to get me when it's treat time, without me having to call her.
This last toy is a home made treat toy made from a toilet paper roll. The toilet paper roll is folded in half, with both ends meeting, and then cutting slits, stopping around a half inch or so from the ends. Unfold the toilet paper tube, then push the middle part of the tube out a bit and add some treats. Our cat was immediately intrigued with this, once I put the treats in it! This is a nice way to add some extra fun for your cat, in a quick and easy way.
Why provide treat toys for your cat(s).
It offers some fun, play, and an intriguing way to play on their hunter instincts.
Another reason, is it is a way to help slow down a cat's eating habits. If they were used to eating fast, as in perhaps they came from an open room type shelter, they may have had to eat fast to make sure they got to the food when it was out. We had two cats where that was the case. Providing a mechanism that helped slow the cat's eating down, was a big help in getting their weight under control.
Which cat treat toy would I recommend?
My choice would be the ladybugs and leaves cat treat toy. My cat seems happier with this treat toy more so than she did with the dispensing ball toy. She looks forward to using it and I don't have to encourage her to use it.
My second recommendation, is to try the toilet paper roll option; it's a good way to see if you want to invest in a treat toy that is more long lasting. However, they are relatively easy to make and toilet paper rolls can be in easy supply.
Cheryl Paton
Huh! Interesting. I am quite familiar with the Kong treat toy for dogs as I often saw my brother using it for his dog. But I did not know there were treat toys for cats. I had cats for many years and yet never knew about cat treat toys. Very nice. Thanks, Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! I imagine it is entertaining for both parent and cat to watch and play. I love the colorful design of the ladybugs and leaves, but the toilet paper roll toy is ingenious. I am sure my grandkitty would love the "treat dispensing toys".
ReplyDeleteWhen my sister had a cat, she tried a treat-dispensing toy that was a flop. Given how much the cat loved treats, we were surprised. If my sister ever gets another cat (she has a dog now), Iwill definitely tell her about the ladybugs and leaves treat dispenser you recommend.
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