Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Problem: Yoshi was gorging himself on cat food from his gravity-powered feeder, gaining a lot of weight even on weight-loss formula food, and even vomiting from overconsumption (yeuagh).
Solution: An automatic feeder that takes 5 minutes to make, and requires no soldering, no motors, and no batteries. Your cat's own clever paws knock just a few pellets out at a time, so this dispenser is self-regulating according to a simple algorithm: while your cat's hunger exceeds his laziness, he shakes the feeder, eats the pellets, repeats.
In addition to pulling the feeder by the lip of its base, Yoshi has also learned to lift and drop the feeder, pull it forward and drop it back, and even knock it on its side and then lift it upright again if nothing else works. He almost always gets a few pellets out each time, and can even run through a nearly full 8 oz cup in a day if he's really hungry. The idea isn't to deny your cat food -- just to slow him down so he notices that he's full.
Solution: An automatic feeder that takes 5 minutes to make, and requires no soldering, no motors, and no batteries. Your cat's own clever paws knock just a few pellets out at a time, so this dispenser is self-regulating according to a simple algorithm: while your cat's hunger exceeds his laziness, he shakes the feeder, eats the pellets, repeats.
In addition to pulling the feeder by the lip of its base, Yoshi has also learned to lift and drop the feeder, pull it forward and drop it back, and even knock it on its side and then lift it upright again if nothing else works. He almost always gets a few pellets out each time, and can even run through a nearly full 8 oz cup in a day if he's really hungry. The idea isn't to deny your cat food -- just to slow him down so he notices that he's full.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1Eat at Baja Fresh
Yes, eating at Baja Fresh is the first step. I like their grilled vegetarian burrito.
Well, okay, you don't *have* to eat at Baja Fresh. Anyway, their grilled vegetarian burrito does not come in an 8oz tub, so you'll have to buy their salsa or guacamole if you want this particular part. You'll probably find that your local deli sells cream cheese or chopped liver in a tub like this, and they probably have better matzo ball soup than Baja Fresh, too.
The key thing is that you find a tub that has a flat lip along the top edge, and fits into the top of your cat food dispenser, resting on that lip, so that the lid of the dispenser will close over it.
You'll also need a cat food dispenser with a circular, flexible pop top that snaps down over the tub from Baja or your deli. This sounds like a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, but I got it right on my first try, so hopefully you will too.
Finally, you'll need some cat food, and a pair of scissors. Without these, any attempts your cat may make to obtain food from your Yoshimatic Cat Feeder will be frustrated.
Well, okay, you don't *have* to eat at Baja Fresh. Anyway, their grilled vegetarian burrito does not come in an 8oz tub, so you'll have to buy their salsa or guacamole if you want this particular part. You'll probably find that your local deli sells cream cheese or chopped liver in a tub like this, and they probably have better matzo ball soup than Baja Fresh, too.
The key thing is that you find a tub that has a flat lip along the top edge, and fits into the top of your cat food dispenser, resting on that lip, so that the lid of the dispenser will close over it.
You'll also need a cat food dispenser with a circular, flexible pop top that snaps down over the tub from Baja or your deli. This sounds like a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, but I got it right on my first try, so hopefully you will too.
Finally, you'll need some cat food, and a pair of scissors. Without these, any attempts your cat may make to obtain food from your Yoshimatic Cat Feeder will be frustrated.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
Makes the cat work for a treat or food one piece at a time.
It just proves that not everyone was made to be big or small, even animals are different sizes in the same environment!
That was fast and very easy to make so now my little friend has a new toy :-)
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1835133/pavlovs_cat_automatic_catfeeder/
I'm thinking about something like this for my kitty, Doozi - she already opens cupboards and drawers and is very persistent until she gets what she wants. Oh yes, she also turns my living room and kitchen lights on and off if she thinks I am ignoring her - she can jump up and toggle the light switches.
Doozi is also not shy about letting me know when she needs more fresh food.