We Found The Simplest Way To Stop Our Cats From Barfing After Meals

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Ever notice that your cat will scarf down all his food super fast, just to throw it up almost immediately?

Cat feeder toys are a good solution, since they only release a few pieces of food at a time as your cat plays with it.

They can even get your lazy boy up and moving, since he’ll have to actually work for his food.

So, we tested out the PetSafe SlimCat interactive feeder cat toy to see if it actually solves that post-dinner puking problem.

Here’s why it earned our cats’ Paw of Approval.

The PetSafe SlimCat interactive feeder cat toy is a feeding ball that dispenses a small amount of food as your cat plays with it.

You just unscrew the top of the ball and fill it with up to two-thirds of a cup of your cat’s favorite food or treats.

Just make sure the pieces are small enough that they can actually fit through the holes in the ball. (You can adjust the size of the holes by rotating the two sides of the SlimCat interactive feeder so the biggest holes are open.)

According to PetSafe, the interactive cat feeder is designed to help your BFF fight obesity and even improve his digestion by giving him smaller portions.

And since it’s a feeding ball toy, it also gives your cat some much-needed mental and physical enrichment — which PetSafe claims will keep your cat’s destructive behavior in check, since he won’t be so bored with the SlimCat feeder toy around.

We picked three office cats who have issues with eating too fast (and being lazy) to give the PetSafe SlimCat interactive cat feeder toy a go.

Cats can be super picky about pretty much anything, including toys. So, it can be a little nerve-racking whenever you give your cat a new toy, especially one that’s supposed to feed him.

But for two of our judges, it was an instant win.

“We use this every day! Usually in the afternoon, when Harry gets a bit hungry, we put out the toy with some dry food to entertain him and give him a snack.” — Isabella Q.

“Once Mowgli saw there was food in the interactive feeder ball, he was quiet and interested. He laid next to it, paced around it, threw his body down a few times. Mowgli is a simple boy so he did require a demonstration. But after a few times, he got the hang of it and ate his whole meal!” — Julia V.

Mowgli’s laziness made the transition a little tricky, but he still ended up eating his food out of his new cat feeder toy.

“The second day was more complicated. I would periodically hit the ball for the next few hours and Mowgli would eventually eat the food, but it was pretty much a stand-off. The third day was similar to the second — I left at 5 and when I came home late, the ball was empty, which means he did use it!” — Julia V.

However, one of our judges gets scared easily, so she wasn’t the biggest fan of the PetSafe Slim cat interactive toy.

“Calliope is pretty skittish, and every time I would roll the ball full of food towards her, she would run away.” — Natalia T.

The PetSafe SlimCat is a fun little ball, in addition to being a cat feeder toy. It pretty much gave our cats an excuse to play with their food.

“Took Prince Harry a few minutes to get the hang of the toy, but once he did, he looked forward to playing with it each day. He didn't necessarily run around with it, but he would track it around one area until he finished all the food.” — Isabella Q.

It even got our lazy cats up and moving (begrudgingly).

“I thought it was Mowgli’s new best friend, but boy was I wrong. Mowgli KNEW his food was in the ball at his regular 12:30 p.m. feeding, but he was determined not to engage (while I was present). When he got hungry enough or when I was out, he would leave his high tower and eat out of the ball, but it was never willingly.” — Julia V.

Of course, getting Mowgli moving was a win for his mom!

Our pet parents really enjoyed how the feeder cat toy was designed in such a way that their cats couldn’t inhale their food at the speed of light — and throw it all up immediately after.

“The product claims Prince Harry will eat slower, which he did! It forced him to really eat one bite at a time while playing with it.” — Isabella Q.

“Mowgli also has a history of binge eating/throwing up. If Mowgli wasn't such a stubborn, lazy boy, this toy would've been phenomenal. It's a great concept for an interactive feeder. I'm going to keep using it because I do think it will force Mowgli to be more active and not inhale his food so quickly. — Julia V.

“While they are toys, they also encourage healthy eating!” — Natalia T.

It also got their BFFs to be a bit more active than they usually would.

“I wanted to test this product for Mowgli because he's a big boy and I've been trying to get him to be more active. The SlimCat Interactive Feeder upheld the claims that it is a product that encourages your cat to be active while eating.” — Julia V.

“It encouraged Prince Harry to move around and run, while also getting a treat as a reward.” — Isabella Q.

Since it doubles as a ball, the cat feeder toy also provides a bit of enrichment that your cat can get all on his own, which is super helpful when you’re busy.

“It kept Prince Harry engaged during the afternoon when we're working and can't play hands-on with him.” — Isabella Q.

Our pet parents noticed that sometimes the holes are a little too big for their cat’s food.

“The holes where the food comes out are too large and let out too much food. If they were slightly smaller it would've made the task more challenging and entertaining for the cat.” — Isabella Q.

“Food spills everywhere, even when it's rolled around just a little.” — Natalia T.

You can adjust the feeder cat toy so the smaller holes are open, but depending on the size of your cat’s kibble, the smaller size holes could be perfect or could still be too big.

The other downside is that the amount your cat uses the PetSafe SlimCat is entirely dependent on your BFF’s personal preference — some cats are just super picky about their toys, even if food’s involved.

“If your cat is lazy and stubborn, they might refuse to use it. I honestly don't fault the product though.” — Julia V.

Still, all of our testers said they’d recommend it to other pet parents.

The secret to finding a toy your cat will love is knowing what your cat already likes.

If your cat couldn’t be bothered by balls (or is terrified by them), this probably isn’t the feeder toy for him. But if your BFF gets a kick out of knocking a ball around, or just needs to get moving, you should definitely consider the PetSafe SlimCat interactive cat feeder toy.

If your cat tends to eat too quickly, this is your secret weapon against his post-meal puking. And even if that isn’t something your cat struggles with, it still keeps him from eating too fast and packing on unwanted weight.

The Dodo may receive complimentary samples to test in our Paw of Approval program, but all our opinions are 100 percent our own. We only publish endorsements of products we (and our dogs and cats) absolutely love! You can find out more about our testing process here.

If you have a product you love that you want to share with other pet parents, send a tip to dodopaw@thedodo.com.