foraging cups

[Deleted]

Hi all!

I just purchased a foraging cup for Weasel (this one: www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15931) and was wondering if you guys have any suggestions for getting him to use it.

I'm currently putting freeze dried chicken in it and have it hanging so that it rests on the floor. Im assuming that at the moment, my little guy is too awake and busy to "concentrate" on such a task ;D, but i was wondering if you guys have any tips to help him get started once he calms down and goes away for the afternoon.

I was thinking maybe letting him finish his breakfast and then holding off on dinner for a few hours to see if that might motivate him a little. He's healthy and starting to put on his fall chub so i dont think a few hours without food will hurt him.

Im hoping the addition of the foraging cup will give me a good way to keep him occupied once the semester starts. Sometimes he finishes his food for the day before I get home from class, and i'm hoping this will be another way to keep him busy until i get home.

Also, if you guys have any other experiences with foraging cups, I'd love to hear all about them!

[jadewolf]

I haven't used that one, but with my foraging toys, I start by making them basically food dishes for special treats- leave them open so the ferret can just pick up the food and eat it. Once the ferret knows there's awesome treats in there, the directions say to "slowly" make it more and more work to get the treat. I've found that once my boys know there's delicious treats in there, I can go straight to the regular difficulty level and they'll figure it out pretty fast. One of my boys loves foraging so much he'd rather eat regular food from the toy than from the dish next to it.

The one foraging toy I do not recommend (aside from the big, heavy dog ones they can't use well) is this cat "puzzle:" www.petco.com/product/111140/WARE-Kit-E-Quiz-Interactive-Cat-Game.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch Either cats are idiots or this toy is just too simple to entertain anyone.

I bought this a few weeks ago but haven't figured out yet how to use it: www.ferret.com/item/ferret-wobbly-roller-ball-natural/650909/ It's about a 4" ball, very lightweight plastic that I worry will break if I so much as glance it with my foot. The openings are also quite large, I'm thinking I'd have to put in a big treat that can't fall out so they gnaw off bits through the bars. But I worry they'll just break it open instead.

I regularly use
www.petco.com/product/106780/Our-Pets-Go-Cat-Go-Play-N-Treat-Balls-Dispenser.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch This, which does not have an adjustable opening, so you need to make the treats the right size to come out the hole. Also it tends to get rolled into litterboxes, because my boys don't look where they're going.

and www.petco.com/product/106777/PetSafe-SlimCat-Cat-Food-Dispenser-in-Blue.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch which also comes in pink. This is awesome, the holes adjust in size and number. It is a wee bit hard to clean thoroughly, but not impossible. It also gets rolled into litterboxes. Also, it's currently $7 at PetCo, I believe I paid $4 there not long ago, so it could pay to wait for a sale.

And the very best one I cannot find anywhere online, I bought it at my local small pet food store. It's a cat foraging toy, a blue flying saucer about 2" across. It opens up completely for easy cleaning, and you can adjust the difficulty by screwing the halves together tighter or looser, and since it's not a ball, it rarely ends up in the litterbox. It was not cheap, I think about $10, but worth it.

[Deleted]

Thanks!

I have the go cat go one and my guy loves it! I agree about the ending up in litter boxes though, this seems to happen more often than not

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2011 10:00:34 GMT -5 @jadewolf said:

And the very best one I cannot find anywhere online, I bought it at my local small pet food store. It's a cat foraging toy, a blue flying saucer about 2" across. It opens up completely for easy cleaning, and you can adjust the difficulty by screwing the halves together tighter or looser, and since it's not a ball, it rarely ends up in the litterbox. It was not cheap, I think about $10, but worth it.

This one? www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+1897+23118&pcatid=23118

I remember it because it's part of my hand modeling portfolio ;D
I have several of the foraging-ball type toys made for dogs and cats... my problem is that my ferrets aren't willing to "work" for kibble, and a lot of other healthy raw snacks don't fit quite right, get stuck, and turn gross. So far what really interests the ferrets is small bits of food inside the dog/cat toys with sliding doors or flaps. Those tend to be awfully noisy, though, so it's a playtime treat that gets taken away when they're done!

In-cage, I give hunks of meat on a Ka-Bob to keep them busy for awhile.

[jadewolf]

Yes, Keri, that is it! Cool!