My Oldest Tonkinese Cat & Ottosson Dog Brick (HD)

My 6 year old blue point tokinese female cat and her first time using the Nina Ottosson Dog Brick food puzzle. She got the hang of it in about 10 minutes. At the beginning of the video you can see her trying to work it out, and about 3 minutes into the video you can see she has put together in her mind how it works.

The point of the puzzle is not necessarily to make it difficult for them to get to their food and eat, but to offer mental stimulation and have them think and coordinate their mind and body instead of robotically eating from a food bowl placed under their chins every day when they hear a magic word that means "food".

Throughout the day, in an open and natural environment, cats strategize, use timing, leverage, balance, coordination and their inherent agility to hunt and chase down their prey. Cats and dogs will naturally "work to earn" their food.

Indoor cats need more than chasing a wand toy to keep their minds sharp. Animals (including humans) sustain better health when they have to use their intelligence and interact with people and objects. By understanding the mechanics of a "food dispenser" and discovering how it works through trial and error, indoor animals have an opportunity to stay healthier both mentally and physically for longer, even if working out the problem or puzzle is easy.

Animals who are so habitually bored out of their minds are lethargic and apathetic with no curiosity or enthusiasm for their territory. Animals that are fit both mentally and physically naturally have a sense of ownership for their home environment. They are curious about who and what new things enter their domain. For an indoor-only cat, the home is the entire world to them and is *acres* smaller to roam than a domesticated outdoor cat.

I have seen so many people complain about how "easy" or how quickly their pets figure out how a puzzle works in product reviews and then stop using the puzzle. They believe it is a waste of money because it does not entertain the pet owner (!!!) the way they expected it to.

If my girls work the puzzle out in 3 minutes every time they use it for the rest of their lives, it is still a helpful and valuable tool for them. The puzzle will last for years for the price and I believe having them use their brains when they have to eat is valuable to their health and longevity.

I hope more types of puzzles will become available for cats and dogs in the future and more consideration is given to indoor creatures by their human companions to not only give them physical exercise, but mental exercise too.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Tonkinese (cat)
• Cat
• puzzle
• food