Doc & Phoebe's Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder (formerly NoBowls)

The Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder, Formaly known as NoBowls, is changing the way that cats get their food. Use this set of 3 'mice' to replace your food bowl and allow your cat to hunt in a natural and healthy way! Each mouse is 'adjustable' so you can choose how dificult it is to get the food out.
So first they need to find the 'mice', then work to get the food out.

Benefits of the Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder:
-       satisfy the natural hunting behavior of your cat: cats that cannot hunt become lazy, can show play-aggression or become destructive by redirecting the hunting instinct into bad behavior, like clawing furniture.
-       engage your cat while you are not at home, prevent boredom
-       prevent “scarf and barf”: by hunting, finding and eating the small portions, your cat will not only feel more satisfied, but will eat at a natural pace
-       weight management: feeding your cat an appropriate amount of food in small portions throughout the day will help your cat to maintain a healthy weight. And by satisfying their hunting need, they will not feel the need for ‘comfort food’.
-       helps prevent that your cat wakes you up at night or early in the morning for food.
 

Feed The Need. Lose the Bowl
For cats, hunting is part of what brain scientists call "The Seeking Circuit." In the seeking circuit, the brain releases dopamine, which heightens their arousal and creates a great feeling of anticipation... like a child on Christmas morning. The small meal completes the cycle and leaves your cat feeling satisfied and complete... the presents are open. Cats need to engage in the seeking circuit many times a day to be mentally and physically healthy.
Eating from a bowl denies them this natural cycle entirely, yet the need to hunt remains instinctual.

In nature, cats hunt and engage this seeking circuit between 9-20 times a day, 24 hours a day. Cats spend an average of 6 hours a day seeking their food. When we remove the opportunity to hunt, we deny their natural instincts. This can lead to physical, behavioral and mental problems.

The Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder mimics the natural cycle of the hunt by engaging the natural seeking circuit and completing it with the satisfaction of a food reward. In addition, the Skin provides the tactile sensation cats want, so that they can engage their teeth, claws and paws in the hunt.

Once transitioned onto the system, your cat will hunt, find their meal, and then play with it to get the food reward. Satisfied with this healthy portion, your cat will groom and rest until hunger motivates the next hunt... just like in nature.
Because the 'preys', hidden by you, don’t run of once found, the need to play activity games with them several times a day will remain. But the Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder way of feeding completes the hunting need.

What is in the box ?
- 1 Trainer (for the rookie Hunter)
- 3 'mice' with a soft skin to simulate its prey
- a portion filler

The Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder is designed with a soft skin to simulate its prey. Cats love to pick it up and use their claws to enhance the experience. Its shape is designed to roll and move in the way a prey would. You portion out half of the day's food between the 3 'mice' and then hide them, twice a day. Your cat will hunt, play, eat and then rest until hunger stimulates her to go hunting again... just like in nature.

Easy maintenance:
-       dishwasher safe
-       Skins can be washed by hand or in the washing machine (30°C) in a washing bag for protection and to keep them separated from your socks ;-) No tumbledry.
Tip: don’t use detergent with citrus scent. Cats can still smell that afterwards and don’t like citrus, so it will make their food less attractive when their mice or sleeves (or any feeding of drinking bowl) is cleaned with citrus.

TIPS:
- As your cat becomes an advanced hunter: get creative about hiding places. You can put a 'mouse' into an empty tissue box, inside of a brown paper shopping bag (cut off the handles for safety), or inside a shoebox. Make sure to refill all 3 'mice' twice a day. If a hiding spot is not uncovered, make it easier so your cat is sure to get his/her complete daily rations.

- Multi-cat household, each cat deserves to have its hunting needs met. If the cat group is not in harmony, the Interactive Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder can even reduces fights between cats because they can each fulfil their need for hunting. Do note that there should be 5 or 6 'mice' hidden for each cat (more cats = more prey). If one cat eats to much of the other cats food or needs different food for medical reasons, the solution is the same as with bowl: isolate the cats for hunting time.