Does your animal's food go in superfast? These tips help to reduce the greedy eaters.

Apart from that, it's just nice to let your animal do some extra things for his meal. This way you can literally and figuratively put him to work!

  1. First soak chunks for 25 to 30 minutes in warm water from the tap. This will make them more difficult to gobble and will also make them softer, which will improve digestion. This is something you have to keep doing for a long time. So don't stop after a week, but keep it up for at least a month. That gives your animal time to experience that it doesn't need to eat its kibble quickly.
  2. Make sure your animal can eat in a quiet environment. After all, the presence of other animals or people can lead to a feeling of competition and this will encourage the gobbling of the food.
  3. You can first put some of the kibble in the bowl and then, while your animal is eating, add some to it. Ygoohis way your animal learns that nobody wants to take away his food, but that he always gets something extra over time.
  4. Something else that could help: feed the kibble out of your hand little by little. Is your animal too greedy? Stop feeding for a moment! This way he soon learns that eating calmly is most profitable for him.
  5. You can offer the kibble in a special feeding ball. By rolling that ball, your animal should be able to get his meal out. This also keeps his body and brain in motion! Most animals love to 'work' for their food.
  6. You can sprinkle the meal in the grass (if you have a garden, in dry weather) or on the kitchen floor. Your animal will then have to track the chunks together and that will make him work longer. This is also a great way to let him use his nose.
  7. Soaked kibble, but also meat, can be put in a feeding toy like the Kong. You can fill this hollow, interactive rubber feeding toy through a hole. Your animal will then have to lick his meal out again, and he will enjoy his meal longer. You can hide the Kong somewhere, so your animal has to find his meal before he can start. The pet store can advise you about the right size of these feeding toys.
  8. You can buy a special anti-scratch bowl with slots, studs or 'protrusions' that is designed in such a way that your animal has to make an effort to get his food, so he won't gobble. You can also put a large stone, of a size that your animal can't pick up or swallow, in his food bowl and sprinkle the food around it, this will also make it more difficult for your animal to get his food.
  9. Fill a bowl with balls and sprinkle the chunks in between. It will take your animal some time to eat the food between the balls!

Do!

Of course, you can also alternate these tips. Always supervise when using feeding toys and remove them as soon as they are empty. This prevents demolition behavior and ensures that your animal continues to find them fun and interesting.

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Annerike from the CareTeam

Questions about your pet's behaviour? The CareTeam loves to help you with free advice!