# Does anyone use the classic KONG (for dogs) for their cat?



## J&K (Jun 14, 2012)

My cats were keeping me all up night, so I spent a few days researching techniques for getting cats to sleep through the night. I bought a bunch of new cat toys, tried playing with them for 2-3 hours before I went to bed, etc. Nothing seemed to work, as all they wanted to do was attack my toes, run around, and wrestle all night long. 

At my wits end, I turned to food puzzles in an attempt to keep them at least quietly busy during their nighttime sessions. I had some limited success with food puzzles that used dry food pellets, and by cutting holes in toilet paper rolls to make my own. However, they never lasted very long and my cats were getting diarrhea from the dry treats since they generally only eat wet food. I decided to look into wet food puzzle options, but found there really were none for cats. 

On a whim, I bought an x-small kong dog toy and stuffed it with their wet food. It was an amazing success. The kongs keep my cats busy for at least 30-40 minutes (unfrozen), and by the time they are finished they are exhausted and generally go to sleep immediately. As an added bonus, I think that they are satisfying a need to "chew," as the cats have been chewing less on cords and other household objects. They also seem generally happier and more relaxed, I believe because they are being so mentally stimulated by this new activity. The cats go absolutely crazy for them, and they chew them just as aggressively and in the same way that a dog would. One of my cats took to the toy immediately. The other took a few weeks to warm up to it, but now he attacks the kong just as enthusiastically as his brother. 

I moved them up to the small size when I realized how quickly they were destroying the x-smalls. It takes them a few weeks, but they have also destroyed all of my smalls at this point, so I just ordered a small black "kong extreme" with harder rubber and a classic medium size to see if they will use those, as I think they'd last longer. 

Does anyone else use the kong dog toys with their cat? These toys are so popular for dogs, but I've never met anyone who has cats that like them. The woman at the pet store seemed very surprised when I mentioned why I was buying them. They have been such a life saver for me and I am wondering why they are not used/marketed more frequently for cats. For my two, it's had all of the same benefits and works in the exact same way as is advertised for dogs.


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## swimmergurl1105 (May 30, 2013)

I believe that they make "kitty kongs" for cats. I haven't heard of anyone using them or how helpful they are though. That's a fantastic idea with the wet food! Does it ever spill out of the Kong and make a mess? I might have to invest in one of those, I would love something to make my tubbier guy exercise while he eats.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm curious about how it works with the wet food too. I can't see having wet food dribble out...Are they playing just because they can smell it? At any rate, it's great that you found something that works! I may try it once I understand how it works.


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## Flauros (Dec 17, 2012)

I'd love to hear more about this too! I've been having the same issue with my own cat, she gets really energetic around dawn and her food puzzle ball doesn't keep her busy for very long.


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

I've been giving Yuki the small hard black rubber dog Kongs for years. She's a chewer as well and I asked the vet if it would be ok for her teeth and its fine. I don't put food inside but she still chews on it. Just keep an eye on the kong as I find the top knob gets all the abuse and eventually gets perforated enough that it could get pulled off. 


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Yes, I LOVE the kong, but I use it for my dog. It can be a pain to clean, it helps to have a bottle brush. My favorite kong concoction is kibble in the bottom, followed by a half a mashed banana and some peanut butter on the top to hold it all in there, and then freeze it. It keeps her busy for about 10 minutes...but she is a doberman, and a pig. I have never used it for the cats, but good idea, I may do that.

We have a playtime routine before bed also, and I feed them right before bed. Stephano, who is going on 1 but still very much a kitten and a clown, he gets fed 2 smaller meals in the day and his biggest meal is at bedtime. That helps him sleep. Also, I do not let him run the house, he goes to sleep in his room, which is actually my daughter's room, but it's a big room with a window and a cat tree. He sleeps all night, because he has learned that is the routine. On occasion he will start to play and wake us up a few minutes before we get up, and we get up really early, but for the most part he sleeps. I think when you establish a routine and pattern, they learn, they get used to it. 

I think it's perfectly fine to put your kitty in a bathroom or separate room or even laundry room at night, so that you can sleep. My older cat, when she was a kitten drove us batty and slept in the bathroom at night, probably for the first few years...that and we put a fan on to block out the mewing noise, that really helps. That is what I would do if I were you, put kitties in a room where they are safe, put a bed and a litter box in there, fill their bellies, and put on a fan so you can get some sleep. I would have been out of my mind otherwise had I not locked up Beep at night those first few years of her life.


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## J&K (Jun 14, 2012)

I used to have a kitty kong, years ago. My cat didn't like the paste that it came with, so it went unused and I eventually just threw it out. I would not recommend using that one, as the rubber was very thin and flimsy. I am pretty sure if I'd stuffed it with cat food, he would have destroyed it in a single use.

I usually use food that has been refrigerated, so it's a bit more firm and stays in the toy pretty well. I have used it straight from the can, and it still didn't really make much of a mess because my cats are constantly licking any bit of food that makes it outside of the kong. I am always sure to give it to them on hardwood or laminate floors for easy clean up, anyway.

I agree about carefully inspecting the small top knob. It's always the first to go, and would probably be small enough to swallow when it comes loose. I inspect them after every use and throw them out as soon as I see that knob weakening. It's good to know that your cat likes the black- I was afraid that it might be too hard for them! 

I wish I had an alternative place to put my younger cat when I sleep, but sadly it's not really an option. I rent a very small apartment, and the only separate room is the bathroom. When left in there, he scratches at the door and frame and has already put many scratches in the wood. I think if I locked him in there regularly he would completely destroy the door and frame. I am just trying to get through the next year or two. I know that he will grow out of this annoying nighttime behavior- my older cat was even worse for the first few years, but at five he's now mellowed out a ton. I am just waiting for the younger guy to catch up!


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Yes, getting through the kitten years is rough...especially the first one. I had a friend that her husband made a cat door in the wall that led out to her garage, and they had a big crate.....like dog kennel size, and they could lock of the cat door at night, and her cats slept out there. She had the litter box there also, since it was big enough, she was able to keep the litter box out there even when her cats were not sleeping there they would use it out there, I thought it was a genius setup she had. No litter box smell in the house, and cats slept out there at night and did not wake them.


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## camskyw (Jan 10, 2012)

swimmergurl1105 said:


> I believe that they make "kitty kongs" for cats. I haven't heard of anyone using them or how helpful they are though. That's a fantastic idea with the wet food! Does it ever spill out of the Kong and make a mess? I might have to invest in one of those, I would love something to make my tubbier guy exercise while he eats.


 
I just saw that Amazon has a Kitty Kong on sale for $7.62. It comes with a Salmon treat gel. I saw the same thing at our local PetSmart in the clearance bin for $4 and some change so might run back over and get it and see if Lucky would like it - but things that I think if I were a kitty would like he won't have anything to do with!! Go figure!


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

Don't buy the kitty kong! The plastic is thin and very flimsy. Go for an x-small or small dog kong, and definitely skip the gross kong filling. That stuff is awful !

The 'peanut butter' flavor for dogs, as well as the cheese one, turn into this sort of bouncy, plastic-y stuff when dried. YUCK! And the list of ingredients!!! Holy man.

PLAIN peanut butter, yogurt, wet food, ect. Good choices for cats.

For dogs Kongs are one of the best toys out there.

Recipes:

Banana/yogurt
Strawberry (or other berry)/yogurt
Peanut butter (low sodium at least, organic natural at best)/yogurt
Peanut butter/banana
Little bit of PB, kibble, pb to fill the hole, then freeze.
PB to block up the top hole, then freeze. Fill with chicken broth and freeze. Pupsicle.
Apple sauce/pb
Wedge in a carrot or celery stick, then add some pb, apple sauce, or yogurt for fun.

The options are endless! I always recommend them especially for teething puppies or during kennel time. Works like a charm


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## camskyw (Jan 10, 2012)

Maybe I won't go buy one now for cats, maybe the small dog one! So ok to give cats peanut butter and fruit flavored yogart???? Interesting to know - Lucky does love skim milk, he will sit and wait for my husband to get finished with his cereal and he leaves him a small amount of the milk for him to enjoy, but he won't drink it if you just pour him some out of the carton - guess likes the flavoring of the cheerios that was in it!! ha ha


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

Camskyw, small amounts are ok of both. Not fruit flavored yogurt though, buy PLAIN yogurt, and the cats will probably like it plain better than with bits of fruit added.

Yogurt with fruit also has tons of extra sugar added, which the kitties (and dogs!...not to mention us, lol) don't need.


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