Review of Trixie Puzzle Maze
What is the purpose of a puzzle feeder? Cats need to be able to display their natural behaviours. They need to search out prey and catch, kill and eat their hunting successes. We as owners give them 2 meals a day, popped into bowls and put on the floor, normally against the wall and nearly always by a water bowl. What if we as owners could feed our cats in a more natural way? This is when puzzle feeders are very useful. There are many on the market but the one I’ve chosen for Ringo to review is the Trixie Puzzle Maze. When you open the box you just place it on the floor away from the wall, giving the cat more room to investigate it and fill it up with the amount you need to feed your cat for one meal. Because the feeder is away from the wall the cat can see all around it, ensuring the cat is comfortable when using it.
Pros
- This puzzle feeder is suitable for both wet and dry food which is useful as most are just for dried only.
- It is also very easy to clean.
- This feeder is fairly heavy, useful when placed on the floor as it doesn’t roll all over the place and under sofas etc.
- This feeder as heavy can also be popped onto a table or anywhere high up and it won’t fall down. This is very useful if you have a dog or young child.
- There are 5 different places to place the food, so adding more mental stimulation for your cat.
- The balls can be removed for ease of washing.
- As the feeder is sturdy and heavy, this is helpful if you have boisterous young cats and good for older cats as it doesn’t move about.
- This feeder comes with good instructions and is good value for money at £15.
- It is safe to leave alone with your cat.
- The feeder can be placed in different areas of the home to encourage your cat to seek it out so displaying searching behaviours.
- The feeder will allow the cat to use its senses, smell, touch, taste and hearing.
Cons
- The feeder can be quiet messy if using wet food.
- Not always ideal if you are out at work all day and want to feed more than one meal.
- You would ideally need more than one if you have several cats as the cats may not feel comfortable sharing one feeder between them.
- The bowls were not that big if your cat has big paws.
- When tested on my cat Ringo he didn’t like the bowls and would leave them alone.
Overall I would definitely recommend this as a great puzzle feeder. I have been placing it in the lounge with enough room for Ringo to walk all around it. I am planning to put all his daily allowance of dried food in it over 5 small meals. I’m not sure I would put soft food in it as very messy and Ringo needs a tablet in it. He really didn’t like the bowls and kept batting them, I think he thought they should move like his other treat ball. I was very impressed that at 15 Ringo was very interested in this puzzle.
This cat puzzle is available from Amazon and other retailers.
