Doc & Phoebe's Cat Co. Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit

One of my 4 kitties had started to become a recluse, spending most of his life in the basement coming up only for food. He was also starting fights with the youngest cat. He went from being a happy go lucky cat who played with the large dogs and other cats to being a grumpy cat. I put these out before going to bed and the very next morning he was out exploring, licking the other cats including the youngest. He has turned immediately back into the cat he was before. They take come work but I highly highly recommend it.

I have 3 cats and one is very active and gets bored easily. They are house cats and needed something to challenge them. I thought this idea sounded great, Skippy always wants dental treats. At first I showed them how to play with it and that there were treats inside. The hard plastic seemed to be a turnoff for all of them. So after months of them ignoring them, I made a felt cover for one to see if that would help. It's been over a year and I finally gave up. Skippy will run to the counter and reach up to the cupboard where the treats are kept. But he would not engage with the plastic mouse, no matter what yummy treat I put inside. Sadly none of mine would. I'm happy for those whose cats loved I have 3 cats and one is very active and gets bored easily. They are house cats and needed something to challenge them. I thought this idea sounded great, Skippy always wants dental treats. At first I showed them how to play with it and that there were treats inside. The hard plastic seemed to be a turnoff for all of them. So after months of them ignoring them, I made a felt cover for one to see if that would help. It's been over a year and I finally gave up. Skippy will run to the counter and reach up to the cupboard where the treats are kept. But he would not engage with the plastic mouse, no matter what yummy treat I put inside. Sadly none of mine would. I'm happy for those whose cats loved it, but mine did not :( … more

We have a kitty that is VERY food driven. Unfortunately, we had to put him on an electrical feeder since he would be 3x the weight if we didn't. He scavenges throughout the night for extra food and I noticed that he keeps begging for more food throughout the day. There have been a few instances where he got into the trash (one even had a lid on it) to finish off any leftovers that were in it! After reading a previous review regarding their scavenger, I decided to give this a try. So far it has been a HUGE hit. Simon is use to puzzle feeders since I try to keep him stimulated between his regular feedings, so he took to it quickly. I didn't need to use the trainer at all. We are currently "hiding We have a kitty that is VERY food driven. Unfortunately, we had to put him on an electrical feeder since he would be 3x the weight if we didn't. He scavenges throughout the night for extra food and I noticed that he keeps begging for more food throughout the day. There have been a few instances where he got into the trash (one even had a lid on it) to finish off any leftovers that were in it! After reading a previous review regarding their scavenger, I decided to give this a try. So far it has been a HUGE hit. Simon is use to puzzle feeders since I try to keep him stimulated between his regular feedings, so he took to it quickly. I didn't need to use the trainer at all. We are currently "hiding" them lower on the ground and while Simon watches so that he knows where they are tucked away. He is getting use to them and I started to notice Simon looking for his mice in the different places we hid them. I will slowly start to move them in more challenging places to keep him working and I am also going to get a second set to use when we are away a bit longer for vacation. (He starts to get super anxious when we are gone for more than 3 days). Never the less, I greatly recommend this. Especially for those kitties that are food driven scavengers. They will enjoy finding them and you will enjoy seeing them "tear" (shake) the mouse up to get the food out. … more

Aside from his life prior to our meeting him at a rescue, out cat has been strictly indoors and had no desire to hunt or play with really anything. But he struggles with anxiety, and after experiencing an episode of FLUTD with the only real culprit appearing to be stress-induced, I came across these mice while researching enrichment ideas to try. These have been a game changer! He’s still food motivated, but instead of waiting for us to feed him (or his automatic feeder in more recent years), he’s discovered his own “superpower:” being able to “feed himself” by finding a mouse and coaxing kibble from its chamber. I highly recommend this!

My cat tends to like puzzle toys but is also not super food-motivated, and previous attempts to feed her kibble through puzzles haven't seemed to have worked. However, the directions/tips that came in the package were really helpful, and my cat seems to be into them! She moved through all of the steps within a week and now has fully transitioned away from using a typical bowl. I tend to set out two mice at once in different places, and then set out the third one when she's hungry later. The instructions were helpful for us and I appreciate that this feels like a fun and healthy way to feed my cat - and engage with her!

My female cat likes these mice. Or maybe she just REALLY likes the food because I only give them dry food as a treat. The male cat, he doesn’t want to play with the mice to get the food, he really likes the food and really likes other food puzzles, but not the mice.

At first they weren’t super interested but once they realized the kibble was inside they were all in. I use them at night before I go to bed so they can hunt them down instead of waking me with their zoomies. They are so tuned in now sometimes I can’t hide them well because they notice as soon as I pick them up and fill them. Then they follow me around as I hide them! I also love that they are adjustable because my cats are definitely ready for more of a challenge.

The product itself is very lovely and well-made, though I am having trouble getting my cat to understand that the food is inside and he can get it himself instead of just asking me to shake it for him every time he wants the food. I think he will get the hang of it though.

We stopped feeding from a bowl and started hiding mice around the house. Our cats spend their day hunting and there is a noticeable difference in their personalities. They’re so happy and having so much fun!

I agree that the indoor hunting cat feeder kit is a good concept but my cats didn't want anything to do with it. I should have ordered the Kong ball for treats. They will definitely hunt treats but the holes in his product are too large.