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

I WILL NEVER EAT FROM A BOWL AGAIN BECAUSE I AM A FIERCE PREDATOR! I took to this feeding kit right away, and it's clear that this is what's been missing from my life! (Even though I have moderate Cerebellar Hypoplasia, I have no trouble with these, and now I don't bonk my nose on my bowl!) I had no idea how much I needed this way of finding/eating my prey! I am feeling very satisfied and pleased with myself as a successful hunter, and my humans are thrilled that it's having such a positive effect on my mood and energy. Plus, I'm moving more and eating less, which is excellent because the vet says that I'm overweight and lazy! Thank you Doc & Phoebe's for recognizing the need for a product like I WILL NEVER EAT FROM A BOWL AGAIN BECAUSE I AM A FIERCE PREDATOR! I took to this feeding kit right away, and it's clear that this is what's been missing from my life! (Even though I have moderate Cerebellar Hypoplasia, I have no trouble with these, and now I don't bonk my nose on my bowl!) I had no idea how much I needed this way of finding/eating my prey! I am feeling very satisfied and pleased with myself as a successful hunter, and my humans are thrilled that it's having such a positive effect on my mood and energy. Plus, I'm moving more and eating less, which is excellent because the vet says that I'm overweight and lazy! Thank you Doc & Phoebe's for recognizing the need for a product like this! … more

I love the idea of this product but it is very stiff and too heavy. My cat is an indoor /outdoor cat. He will do anything to get outside and he is quite sneaky about it. Nothing we have done has been able to keep him in the house 100% of the time. He is the neighborhood mouser and while my neighbors love him cleaning up their sheads and yards from mice I would rather him stay inside. I thought this product would be great for him to hunt inside and not feel the need to go outside. The problem is the product is too heavy and very stiff. It doesn’t mimic anything he would actually hunt. He rolled one a couple times to get the food out and then got bored and never touched again. I I love the idea of this product but it is very stiff and too heavy. My cat is an indoor /outdoor cat. He will do anything to get outside and he is quite sneaky about it. Nothing we have done has been able to keep him in the house 100% of the time. He is the neighborhood mouser and while my neighbors love him cleaning up their sheads and yards from mice I would rather him stay inside. I thought this product would be great for him to hunt inside and not feel the need to go outside. The problem is the product is too heavy and very stiff. It doesn’t mimic anything he would actually hunt. He rolled one a couple times to get the food out and then got bored and never touched again. I feel like if this product was made with a flexible and lighter material like silicone it could simulate an animal a cat would hunt. This might work for a cat who has never hunted anything before, but for my cat this was a waste of money. … more

My herd of 3 cats transitioned from 1-bowl free feeding to the 3 Mice 2x/day in only 4-5 days. The vet recommended this after my diabetic meatloaf Dewey, hit 18 lbs on the scale. The first 2 days they were anxious and nagging but I’d just take them to where each Mouse was hidden and knock a few bits out for them. When the thundering hoard trusted they could always find food they relaxed. Then I returned to adding back their daily treat of a Tsp of wet food. They also have 1 of the clear balls in the living room and eat about half of one filling, between the 3 cats. I also learned they do eat primarily at night, and they do like having a private eating spot, even if not always the same one. My herd of 3 cats transitioned from 1-bowl free feeding to the 3 Mice 2x/day in only 4-5 days. The vet recommended this after my diabetic meatloaf Dewey, hit 18 lbs on the scale. The first 2 days they were anxious and nagging but I’d just take them to where each Mouse was hidden and knock a few bits out for them. When the thundering hoard trusted they could always find food they relaxed. Then I returned to adding back their daily treat of a Tsp of wet food. They also have 1 of the clear balls in the living room and eat about half of one filling, between the 3 cats. I also learned they do eat primarily at night, and they do like having a private eating spot, even if not always the same one. I use behind bedroom doors and the utility room. I have also noticed hunting behavior from 2 of them, that’s new. Even though the Mice are in consistent places, they stalk around bookcases and baskets at times. If you get these, be absolutely consistent from the beginning and they’ll work. … more

I have a cat that thinks every meal is her last (shelter rescue). I've had her for 3 years and she still eats too much too fast and regurgitates it- only to go back for more! It was getting to the point where I couldn't feed more than 1 tablespoon at a time and would feed 5-6 times per day. It took a bit to train but this is a more economical alternative to an auto-feeder. I still only limit to a max of 1TB filling each but it does slow her down a lot and I am now only feeding 2-3 times manually and hiding the others in areas where she naps at different times of day as a reminder. This also works great as a toy to stimulate cat needs. My girl seems to have a lot of fun flipping the mice over I have a cat that thinks every meal is her last (shelter rescue). I've had her for 3 years and she still eats too much too fast and regurgitates it- only to go back for more! It was getting to the point where I couldn't feed more than 1 tablespoon at a time and would feed 5-6 times per day. It took a bit to train but this is a more economical alternative to an auto-feeder. I still only limit to a max of 1TB filling each but it does slow her down a lot and I am now only feeding 2-3 times manually and hiding the others in areas where she naps at different times of day as a reminder. This also works great as a toy to stimulate cat needs. My girl seems to have a lot of fun flipping the mice over and is excited whenever she gets the reward. … more

So my cat actually grasped the concept over the transition period, and the mice feeders are quite cute, but just as I read prior to purchasing, the holes are not adjustable and with one nudge, all the kibbles spill out and make a mess that is left all over the floor after my cat nibbles on just a few. I did what one reviewer suggested and taped over both holes of each mouse so just a few can come out at a time. At this price, I shouldn’t have to rig an adjustment. It takes away the cute factor when scotch tape is wrapped across the holes. I have video of my cat tapping the mouse and showing the entire kibble contents spilling out, but don’t think I can attach a video file here. I ended up buying So my cat actually grasped the concept over the transition period, and the mice feeders are quite cute, but just as I read prior to purchasing, the holes are not adjustable and with one nudge, all the kibbles spill out and make a mess that is left all over the floor after my cat nibbles on just a few. I did what one reviewer suggested and taped over both holes of each mouse so just a few can come out at a time. At this price, I shouldn’t have to rig an adjustment. It takes away the cute factor when scotch tape is wrapped across the holes. I have video of my cat tapping the mouse and showing the entire kibble contents spilling out, but don’t think I can attach a video file here. I ended up buying another item that is a not so cute blue plastic egg that you put kibbles into and the holes are adjustable so it’s much more practical in actual use and application. The mice are a marketing marvel, just needs tweaking. … more

I have a very energetic 1.5 year old indoor kitten and was looking for a new way to being more engagement and stimulation to her life (and perhaps distract her from opening all of the cabinets and drawers). These are great! We used the 'trainer' mouse for her evening meal for about 5 days before moving to the real mice and she caught on very quickly. It's amazing how quickly she will find them now after nearly 2 weeks! And she seems to love it too- she purrs when she finds one. She is also no longer yeowling while looking at her food bowl for an hour before meals.

This did not work to put our cats food in. They literally just stared at me and then proceeded to scream at me for food. I think they’re just a little on the lazy side. I tried it with 5/7 of our cats. They do like them when I hide them throughout the house with treats in them though so that’s a plus. Warning though, dogs like them, so don’t leave them where they can find them.

Let me start with a disclaimer -- it's not fair to ding a product when you don't follow directions, so read this review with a big grain of salt! I absolutely love the idea of these feeders, and based on the reviews I read before purchasing, some cats love them and others couldn't care less. My kitty couldn't care less, but I only tried once -- he didn't seem to care that there was food inside, he completely ignored the "trainer". I admit that I did not follow the instructions (eek!) by removing his food bowl at night -- just couldn't bring myself to do it. But I fully intend to try again, maybe when I have a little more time to focus on doing what I'm supposed to.

This product does exactly what it claims to do. While I like the concept and fact it occupies my cat, actually using it is a bit underwhelming. Getting dry food into these things is a challenge. Its hard/slow to get the dry food into the holes with the provided scoop while a kitty is trying to get to it. A container that easily snapped apart might be easier (or at least a funnel vs the scoop). My kitty then proceeds follow me while I hide them and meow at his food bowl until i direct him closer a hiding place with a toy or laser pointer. When he does find them he bats it around but has a hard time/cant get his claws into the fabric the way he does with toys he likes. he also tries This product does exactly what it claims to do. While I like the concept and fact it occupies my cat, actually using it is a bit underwhelming. Getting dry food into these things is a challenge. Its hard/slow to get the dry food into the holes with the provided scoop while a kitty is trying to get to it. A container that easily snapped apart might be easier (or at least a funnel vs the scoop). My kitty then proceeds follow me while I hide them and meow at his food bowl until i direct him closer a hiding place with a toy or laser pointer. When he does find them he bats it around but has a hard time/cant get his claws into the fabric the way he does with toys he likes. he also tries to bite the openings to drag the toy around but immediately lets go. I think it's too hard for him-- a softer more rubbery opening would be more to his liking. tldr: its tricky/time consuming to setup and he doesnt seem to enjoy the experience … more

I really loved this concept of hunting for some food, but be warned that kitty may or may not be interested. We tried this product since he was waking us up at 5 am to eat. We hoped putting these out at night would stop the early morning wakings, but it really didn't. Plus, he would knock it around and get kibbles around. Not too messy but not really great to have to clean up after in various locations. We just leave some kibble in his bowl now and the wakings have calmed down.