The pipolino

The Pipolino is a dry food distributor for cats. The cat must roll it around in order to make the food come out. 

The domesticated cat that lives indoors usually lacks stimulation. We present him his food and all he must do is eat it. Since he does not have to put any effort into doing this and all is easily accessible, he usually becomes overweight and bored. 

In his natural state, the cat must hunt his prey (10-15 times per day) to feed himself. This occupies the majority of his time since his is only successful 10% of the time. It is estimated that he spends between 8 and 12 hours doing this. To a degree, the Pipolino serves to recreate this activity for the cat. 

Therefore, the advantages of this device are: 

• Avoids boredom which may sometimes lead to anxiety, aggression by the lack of predation and urinary or fecal marking. 
• An increase in physical activity since he must work to obtain his food. 
• Prevention of hyperglycemia. Since the food is only distributed a little bit at a time, the pancreas can produce insuline accordingly and thereby, decrease the production of fat. 
• Weight loss or the maintenance of lean muscle mass. 

Practical advice:

• Can be used as early as 2 months of age. 
• May hold the equivalent of four days of rations, therefore it is practical for the weekends. 
• It is recommended that you avoid rolling the Pipolino to show the cat how to use it. This will only hinder the learning curve. 
• You must remove all other sources of food. 
• Once your cat has learned how to use it, it is necessary to calculate the smallest amount of food required to meet the cat's energetic needs. 
• It is quiet, durable, and without risk furniture. 
• Should not be used where it is at risk of falling down the stairs.