Yet another toy designed and marketed for dogs that is great for cats as well. This toy can work for dry or wet food and can be manipulated to achieve different challenge levels, though as a whole it is a beginner toy.
environmental enrichment
The Boys’ Playroom
A panoramic view of the whole project!
As you can see from the picture above we are always happy to incorporate existing cat condos and human furniture into the vertical space design. We do not have any before photos but this was a new house, new construction and we basically had a blank slate to work with, so use your imagination! This room was decked out for two young boys who love to run and climb! They live with a senior female who was not so jazzed that new feline family members were added to the home. So the family rotates and time shares the house and when the boys are in "their room" they have a lot of fun things to do while the senior citizen is having quiet family time.
We build for all life stages, body styles and abilities. Notice that some of these runs come close to the floor for ease of access. Cats also cannot climb down the pole, they are not squirrels! These short steps allow them to descend.
This is Turbo! It took him a minute to warm up to the vertical space.
People often ask if their cat will fit in the scooped beds. Turbo is a big boy, weighing in around 15# and you can see he has snuggled in nicely.
Butters was on this stuff before Jake was finished installing!
Butters! He is a cutey and an athlete!
Notice the staggered shelves and ability to descend without disrupting one another.
How to encourage your cat to use a cat wheel.
Have you often dreamed of buying a cat wheel for your cats only to wonder, “How will I get them to use it?” Or maybe you already have one stuck in the corner of a room somewhere collecting dust and dirty laundry? Either way, there is a process to it and while there are a precious few cats that will take right to one, most need training and encouragement. If you break it down into a few simple steps, your cats can get a good cardio workout.
Our first cat wheel was a lightweight, hand-me-down from a generous client who could not get their cats to use it. After ensuring we could teach the cats to use the freebie wheel, we then decided the one you see to your right was worth the investment. However, this fancy new wheel is heavier and requires more excursion. The pros and cons of this was that we moved forward with this purchase knowing they understood the concept. However, we had to encourage use all over again and some of the cats still prefer the lightweight model they were originally trained on.
The fancy cat wheel we splurged on after ensuring they would use a cheaper model.
Do not force use. It is ok for them to use it as a bed for a few days and build trust.
First things first, DO NOT plop your cat on the wheel and spin it as fast as possible! That is a great way to make them terrified of it and they will never go near the contraption again. Resist your urges to see them run like the wind! Only patience and positive reinforcement is going to make this happen. Now let’s get started!
Place your cat wheel on a stable surface so that it does not wobble or topple. If it makes a weird noise or is unstable it will likely scare your cat.
Next, I recommend weighting it down for a few days. This might mean putting an actual weighted item on the wheel or putting something to impede movement on either side. Place a nice cat bed or fleece blanket on the wheel along with some treats and let your cats just hang out on it as if it were a weird new cat condo.
After a few days of this remove these items and encourage your cat to stand on the wheel using treats or play around it using a lure toy. All the while steady the wheel with one hand so it barely moves at all. This allows them to learn to trust it.
Once that is going well, allow the wheel to have just a little bit of movement as your cat plays on it. Encourage them to slowly walk on it while following their favorite lure toy. Hold a treat out in front of them so they take a step or two towards the treat and the wheel moves, but only slightly. Immediately reward them for their bravery! It is very important during this stage that you keep one hand on the wheel so that it does not move too quickly and frighten them.
Eventually, you will be able to continue to build up to more and more movement and hopefully your cat will find it so rewarding and fun they will hop on and motor of their own accord!
Watch the video below to see cats loving the cat wheel!
Soren is a firm believer that all cats should have a cat wheel!
The Bob-A-Lot
This is a weighted and challenging food puzzle designed originally for small to medium sized dogs, but is no match for an experienced foraging cat! Featuring an adjustable opening and a difficult to grip exterior, this toy is sure to slow down a cat that eats too quickly.
The Kong Wobbler for cats
This is a challenging, weighted and rather large foraging toy for cats. This puzzle is geared towards the experienced forager and cats that are very driven. The challenge can be increased if need be by placing various cat toys inside to occasionally obstruct the opening or by placing smaller food puzzles inside such as foraging ping pong balls by Fundamentally Feline!
The Catit Play stationary foraging board
This stationary foraging board offers a myriad of different obstacles, can be used for wet or dry food and can be enjoyed by both novice and experienced foragers. Placing the food only in the center of the board increases the challenge and requires the cats to then extract food from a secondary puzzle at the perimeter. Not only is this toy stylish, it is well made, easy to clean and versatile.
