Geek and cat enthusiast Ben Millam created a remarkable device that elevates cat feeding to a whole new level.
He thought it would be fantastic to teach his cat, Monkey, to search the home for concealed plastic balls and then toss them into a specially made machine.
Because the balls are RFID-tagged, food emerges from the feeder whenever Monkey discovers a ball and brings it over to the machine to place it in a bowl on top.
Ben used “clicker” training, which is based on linking a desired behavior to a distinguishing click and a reward, to train Monkey. After a considerable amount of time and patience, Monkey came to the conclusion that his efforts had been worthwhile.
Ben adds, “It all began when I read about cats’ habit of constantly scouting the same areas—partly to mark and monitor their territory, but also as a form of’mobile’ hunting.”
What if my cat really discovered its prey while on patrol? He would undoubtedly get one step closer to living a more contented and self-actualized indoor cat life if this happened.
Ben stated that he created the feeder because he wanted Monkey to have a more meaningful existence, which is a really clever concept.
View the video to learn how to use it: