Naik, R. et al.
2018
Journal of Veterinary Behavior

Multiple illnesses and obesity have been associated with indoor housing of cats. Food-dispensing toys as a method to increase activity and environmental enrichment were evaluated. Randomized crossover study of 19 client owned cats was designed to compare effect of meal feeding from a bowl versus a food-dispensing toy on overall activity. There was a significant change in total activity for both groups in weeks 3 and 5, but no significant difference in average weekly or daily activity were noted when fed from a toy compared with a bowl. In addition, we found that overall activity of cats decreased 6%-7% with each 1-year increase in age. Overall activity did not change depending on food-dispensing toy or food bowl feeding, but toys can benefit satiety, stress reduction, and overall well-being.