Introduction: Fun Food Dispenser for Cats.
My cat Trinity loves her cat biscuit dispenser. She makes the biscuits come out all by herself and has a lot of fun in the process. It is purr-fect in her opinion. It is a tidy looking unit that can be made to any length to fit any space on a wall or cupboard in the house. The only working part (apart from the cat) is the elastic which is easily replaced. It is also extremely durable and largely weather-proof so we have one in the garden (the one shown in the instructions). Ants are not a problem. We just carefully cover the unit with plastic and surface insect spray on the wall and floor and there are no problems for weeks.
I "invented" the feeder after I watched Trinity playing with a plastic golf ball. However, nothing is new I guess. I saw just before I posted this instructable, one by biker_trash_1340 posted in 2009 with credit to a book by Tom Fox. A lot of people liked that idea so I hope you like this one as well.
Step 1: Everything You Need. the Feeder Cost Me Less Than $15 and Took Me Less Than 15 Minutes to Make.
- 4 x screws
- 1 x 150mm x 3.6mm cable tie
- 4 x feathers
- 1 x hollow plastic golf ball
- 1 metre length x 3mm dress elastic
- 1 x 25mm PVC elbow (45 degree angle)
- 1 x 25mm PVC end cap
- 1 metre length x 25mm PVC pipe
- 2 x 25mm saddle clips
- 1 x square container (round is OK but square stops spillage of biscuits at the wall)
- cat biscuits
If you want a shorter unit you can buy a shorter length of PVC pipe or cut one to suit using a hacksaw.
Step 2: Making the Unit.
- Put the elbow onto one end of the pipe.
- Tie one end of the elastic to the golf ball and the other end to the cable tie.
- Drop the cable tie into the elbow end of the pipe and pull through so the ball sits in the elbow.
- Pull the cable tie and elastic over the other end of the pipe.
- Fit the end cap. This is your lid and where you will drop the biscuits into the pipe so don't make it too tight.
- Fasten the cable tie just below the end cap and cut off the excess so it looks neat.
Step 3: Fix Your Finished Feeder to a Wall or Cupboard or Garden Post.
- Fix the feathers into the golf ball. I just poke them straight into one of the side holes. Half the fun for Trinity is making those feathers fly!
- Use the saddle clips to screw the unit to a wall or cupboard or garden post. Make sure it is not too tight at the top as you need to take the end cap off to pour the biscuits in.
- Fill the feeder with biscuits and place the bowl underneath.
- Gently pull on the golf ball and show your cat how FUN equals FOOD!
The inside feeder is shorter, with a yellow ball and crazy pieces added from old toys to make it even more thrilling!