Puzzles for cats
Get their paws off your laptop, away from your plants, out of your face and into an activity that rewards their natural hunting instincts.
- Regular price
- $49.99
We donate 10% of each sale to animal welfare causes.
Lean more about our donations
Healthy
Reduce boredom and prevent food gobbling
Inclusive
Cats of all ages and abilities can enjoy
Elegant
The natural materials play well with any decor
Obtaining food rewards through puzzle feeders involves considerable effort on the cat’s part, but evolution has designed cats for this—even greater effort is needed when hunting in the wild—so the process of working for food is intrinsically rewarding.
From scraps to head scratchers
Years ago, we made a pawzzle for our cat, Minou, but it wasn’t until we had a growing pile of wood offcuts from our other business, Fondfolio, that we considered making these for other felines.
A Pawzzle shouldn’t replace regular interactive playtime, but it can help focus some of your cat’s energy when you can’t give them attention, like during a meeting. It’s a frustration-reduction box!
Learning to Pawzzle happens in three stages:
- Identifying that there is food in the box, usually by smell or by seeing you add it.
- Having the desire to get the food.
- Trying different ways to get it.
As your cat successfully acquires the treats, they will learn to repeat their actions in order to get more. For this reason, Pawzzles are also a great introduction to reward-based training!
For less food-motivated cats, try introducing the Pawzzle right before meal time.
Paws for a purrrpose
10% of each Pawzzle sale is donated to animal welfare initiatives. Our plan is to give to a combination of local cat-based charities, such as the Toronto Cat Rescue (where we adopted Minou), and the Effective Altruism Animal Welfare Fund which supports emerging animal welfare groups and advocacy research in a range of countries.
Designed for cool cats and their hoomans
The sides of each Pawzzle are made from our Fondfolio offcuts of Cherry, Walnut and Maple veneer (the mix varies depending on our supplies). The top and bottom are made from smooth poplar plywood.
Pawzzles pack flat, so you save on shipping. They’re very easy to assemble — no glue required — simply snap together.
Snug finger-joints secure the walls and top while super-strong mortise and tenon joints attach the base to the walls.
Thick 100% wool felt pads on the feet help protect your floors from scratches and keep noise to a minimum.
Use your cat’s favourite treats or their regular dried food. Pawzzles can double as a feeder at meal times, if your cat eats too quickly.
You don’t have to use food — Pawzzles can also accommodate small toys, such as ping-pong balls and small mice.
I pawzzle 2-3 times per day for about 15 minutes per session. Sometimes even after a meal I’ll poke my paws in, just to make sure I haven’t missed anything — always keeps me guessing!
