A new crowdfunding project is lookingto put your cat's natural hunting instincts to work, offering anall-in-one feeding system that, according to the project's creators,could even improve your pets mental health. The NoBowl systempromotes exercise, and mimics the animal's natural cycle of hunting.
The idea is to provide a set ofequipment that changes your cat's experience of feeding from a fairly passive affair to an active pursuit that brings out the innerfeline hunter. Designed by veterinarian Dr Liz Bales, the system isdesigned to be safe and simple to use, consisting of a small plasticcontainer for the food, and a slip-over, drawstring skin – the bitthat looks like a mouse – designed to mimic the tactile feel of theanimal's natural prey.
A set comprises five NoBowl containers and covers, as well as a measure to fill them with the correct amountof food. There's also a training NoBowl in the box, which is like astandard container without a cover, designed to teach yourcat how the system works before setting them loose to find standard NoBowls placed randomly around thehome. Everything is reported easy to clean – you can wash thebowls in hot water and put the covers through the washing machine.
The project's creators claim to haveconducted a "significant trial" of the NoBowl system in January,with positive results. Cats using the product reportedly behaved in amore friendly manner, didn't pester their owners for more food, andsome even lost a little weight.
There's nothing particularlyrevolutionary about the NoBowl system – after all, it's designed toget the animals that use it back to their roots – but it's a simpleidea that could be an effective way of improving the day-to-day lifeof your furry little friend.
The project has launched on Kickstarter to bring the feeding system into production, and has already more than doubled its US$36,000 funding goal. As of writing, NoBowl pledges start at $40 and, assuming everythinggoes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in August.
Sources: NoBowl, Kickstarter