Guy Builds Cat Feeding Machine That Requires His Kitty To Hunt For Food
Ben Millam who refers to himself as an “aspiring geek” built an incredible machine that takes cat feeding to a whole new level. He trained his cat Monkey to look for plastic balls hidden around the house and throw them into the machine. Once the machine recognizes the RFID-tagged balls, the feeder is activated and the ball is filled with cat treats.
Monkey was trained using ‘clicker’ training that is based on associating a desirable behaviour with a distinctive click and a reward. It took some time and patience but as Millam says, Monkey successfully managed to put up with all his experiments.
“This all started after I read an explanation of why cats go about repeatedly exploring the same areas: it’s partly to establish and survey their territory, but they’re also practicing ‘mobile’ hunting,” Millam said. “So what if my cat, while out on patrol, actually found its prey? Surely this would bring him one step closer towards a more fulfilled and self-actualized indoor kitty existence.”
More info: benjaminmillam.com (h/t: laughingsquid)
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Share on FacebookThink one of my cats would be too lazy to do that. Sometimes it's hard to get her out of her lair (= hidden sleeping spot in a cupboard :P) even if I'm holding treats.
Ha, so typical of cats. This could be a good way to get them to get off their lazy backsides though!
Load More Replies...This is so awesome!! But how do you train the cat so that he knows what to do?
You use a clicker to trigger the behavior and treatments(as a reward) to reinforce it. Repeat it alot, and it will learn it. You can search clicker training for cats on Youtube^^
Load More Replies...I think this guy has a Kickstarter project idea! Now, how do we get him going?
My 3 cats are 13 yrs old and are outdoor cats. We live in the country and they hunt all day. I agree that is something they need to do and this machine is a gr8 idea for helping an indoor cat kept from being bored. What a gr8 idea.
Great idea! Captive animals need to exercise their brains. Better to hunt a ball than to be outside hunting birds.
This is a great enrichment for your cat. Animals in the wild have things to do, hunt for food, find mates, avoid predators, deal with weather, etc. Sometime in captivity they get board and develop less than desirable behaviors. Often giving them things to do, like this, helps a lot.
Treats need to be fresh, and, the balls cleaned regularly and OFTEN. Otherwise this little guy could be poisoned, as happened and reported on one dog whose owner did not clean the plastic bin everytime he refilled it with new kibble. (Don't get me started on kibble . . . our pets rarely get that. They eat almost all raw, with some canned mixed in for variety in flavors.)
Did you watch the video? The article is false. The treats don't go into the ball. The ball triggers a release of food or treats into the bowl.
Load More Replies...I recently heard an interview with a veterinarian who said that it's a good idea to hide small servings of cat food around the house, as cats are less bored if they have to seek out their food. This seems like a good alternative solution.
Great way to get them moving and a wonderful automatic cat feeder. Andy Harms http://bowchickameowmeow.com
Love it! Jaime Jackson (author) created a concept called Paddock Paradise for horses to also live and eat in a manner that puts them as close as possible to the manner in which they would live in the wild. https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPaddockParadisePage/
My cat would adore this! Can you make me one? PM me on Facebook. Lisa DiStefano Hannigan
GENIAL !!! This should be in every home (a home is where your cat is) ;)
Probably doesn't need much food-cats eat small amounts of food frequently, since their tummies are so small
Load More Replies...This is amazing idea! Smart kitty!! I "have" a wild crow who calls me under my window, when she has hunger and this works like a feeding machine for this cat :D Animals are much smarter, then many people think.
Clever kitty. What an ingenius idea to stimulate kitty's brain power.
And then you go on vacation and forget to remove the balls from the box... lol
That's quite a contraptions but having it operated by a very smnart kitty. Wants a treat, has to work. Great idea!!! Great owner.
I want one! My cat would love doing this—he likes to play games and do simple tasks.
This is very useful when the cat's owner is gone and there's no one to feed him/her. Smart!
I want one! Just needs to be able to dispense wet food since that is better for them.
As long as treats are fresh, and, the balls are cleaned daily. Otherwise risk of poisoning the pet. Has happened.
Think one of my cats would be too lazy to do that. Sometimes it's hard to get her out of her lair (= hidden sleeping spot in a cupboard :P) even if I'm holding treats.
Ha, so typical of cats. This could be a good way to get them to get off their lazy backsides though!
Load More Replies...This is so awesome!! But how do you train the cat so that he knows what to do?
You use a clicker to trigger the behavior and treatments(as a reward) to reinforce it. Repeat it alot, and it will learn it. You can search clicker training for cats on Youtube^^
Load More Replies...I think this guy has a Kickstarter project idea! Now, how do we get him going?
My 3 cats are 13 yrs old and are outdoor cats. We live in the country and they hunt all day. I agree that is something they need to do and this machine is a gr8 idea for helping an indoor cat kept from being bored. What a gr8 idea.
Great idea! Captive animals need to exercise their brains. Better to hunt a ball than to be outside hunting birds.
This is a great enrichment for your cat. Animals in the wild have things to do, hunt for food, find mates, avoid predators, deal with weather, etc. Sometime in captivity they get board and develop less than desirable behaviors. Often giving them things to do, like this, helps a lot.
Treats need to be fresh, and, the balls cleaned regularly and OFTEN. Otherwise this little guy could be poisoned, as happened and reported on one dog whose owner did not clean the plastic bin everytime he refilled it with new kibble. (Don't get me started on kibble . . . our pets rarely get that. They eat almost all raw, with some canned mixed in for variety in flavors.)
Did you watch the video? The article is false. The treats don't go into the ball. The ball triggers a release of food or treats into the bowl.
Load More Replies...I recently heard an interview with a veterinarian who said that it's a good idea to hide small servings of cat food around the house, as cats are less bored if they have to seek out their food. This seems like a good alternative solution.
Great way to get them moving and a wonderful automatic cat feeder. Andy Harms http://bowchickameowmeow.com
Love it! Jaime Jackson (author) created a concept called Paddock Paradise for horses to also live and eat in a manner that puts them as close as possible to the manner in which they would live in the wild. https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPaddockParadisePage/
My cat would adore this! Can you make me one? PM me on Facebook. Lisa DiStefano Hannigan
GENIAL !!! This should be in every home (a home is where your cat is) ;)
Probably doesn't need much food-cats eat small amounts of food frequently, since their tummies are so small
Load More Replies...This is amazing idea! Smart kitty!! I "have" a wild crow who calls me under my window, when she has hunger and this works like a feeding machine for this cat :D Animals are much smarter, then many people think.
Clever kitty. What an ingenius idea to stimulate kitty's brain power.
And then you go on vacation and forget to remove the balls from the box... lol
That's quite a contraptions but having it operated by a very smnart kitty. Wants a treat, has to work. Great idea!!! Great owner.
I want one! My cat would love doing this—he likes to play games and do simple tasks.
This is very useful when the cat's owner is gone and there's no one to feed him/her. Smart!
I want one! Just needs to be able to dispense wet food since that is better for them.
As long as treats are fresh, and, the balls are cleaned daily. Otherwise risk of poisoning the pet. Has happened.
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