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Surepet Chip Bowls Break In

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9.9K views 81 replies 17 participants last post by  lymorelynn  
#1 ·
ok so Vinnie, precious little Vinnie has learnt how to break into the Surepet chip bowls which is driving me to insanity because I can no longer leave food in them at work for the BSH who graze because the bowls will be empty but usually ripped out the feeders and empty within 5 minutes of me leaving.

I don't know if I'm missing something, I've heard people mention an intruder setting but I think Vinnie is beyond that ... the lids are in the lock position, they are on the fastest closing setting physically possible and I've lost the will to live at ever stopping him.

If anyone has any ideas on how to stop him or maybe thwart his efforts do let me know!!

I laugh about it but actually its starting to become a problem because my Brits eat little and often and they can't because I have to lock their feeders away when I go to work. They either starve whilst I'm at work (or out the house for any length of time) because I shut the bowls away or Vinnie eats the food within 5 minutes of me leaving the house. He now does it with me in the house, he isn't shy about it and yes I have a video so you can see the angels tactics (just don't show the video to your cats if you have these bowls)!!


I can only think of shutting BSH downstairs, and Orientals upstairs but that is not ideal at all, Bilbo can be quite nasty to Django if hes having a grumpy day and I don't like to think that he can't run away. I have to have Bilbo and Django's feeders litterally by my bed overnight so I can hear him breaking in.

Vinnie gets 3 generous meals a day, he is a big cat. He is in perfect condition at the moment, he got quite fat when we stopped showing for 4 months but as hes back in the show circuit lately I have watched his food intake and got him back to a "show ready" body!

Any ideas welcome!!
 
#2 ·
Hi @BritishBilbo - goodness me, what a smart boy Vinnie is to break into the microchipped feeder!!:eek: I had no idea the lid was that easy to force open, though I must admit I have never exerted much force on it, for fear of breaking it!

Is it always the same feeder he manages to break into? If so, maybe one particular feeder has a weakness. But if he can get into any feeder, then evidently it is a design weakness. Have you sent the video link to Sure Pet Care Customer Services for their comments? I am sure they would be interested to see it.

If nothing can be suggested by Sure Pet Care to make the feeders less vulnerable, then my suggestion is as follows. Fit a microchipped cat flap (or Pet Door) to the door of one room of the house. Scan only the Brits microchips into the cat flap, put their feeders in the room and close the door. Train the Brits to use the internal cat flap.

The room you use need only be small, as the cats will only be going in there to eat, and then coming out again. I would use a Pet Door rather than a standard chipped flap, as the Pet Door has a better lock on it to prevent Vinnie forcing his way in through it.

Btw, I see that Vinnie is only able to get the flap of the feeder partly open so he can hook out the kibble with his paw. If you were to put wet food in the feeders instead of kibble he would have a harder job getting it out and may not bother. Kibble has such as strong odour to it also, that it's not really surprising it's like a magnet to him. With wet food the odour is better contained within the feeder.
 
#3 ·
The chip cat flap is an awesome idea and one I would defo do if I owned my house unfortunately I just rent at the moment! He can do it to any feeders, he just doesn't bother with Harley's because he knows she wont leave a scrap. Unfortunately he has become so obsessed with breaking into the feeders that he will go into Django and Bilbos whether its wet, dry, raw, treats you name it he will have it. I'm tempted to block out the clear plastic lid with something opaque to see if that stops him, I doubt it though!

Bilbo is a nightmare with wet food, he gets it but he will leave it which of course Vinnie eyeballs the second Bilbo turns his nose up at it. I'm fighting a losing battle but I will send it to Surepet as it is defo a design flaw!
 
#4 ·
As you are renting your property you could fit a temporary door in the doorway of one room, so it opens the opposite way to the permanent door. i,e, you would leave the permanent door in place.

Best thing would be get someone to make you one from something thin like pine or tongued and grooved planks. And then add hinges ones side and a hook and eye fastener the other side. Fit the chipped cat flap into the temporary door.

When the cat flap isn't in use the temporary door can be left open all the time. I have something like this fitted at the top of my stairs, designed by me, and made by my OH. I could PM you a photo if you'd like to see it. :)
 
#6 ·
chillminx said:
As you are renting your property you could fit a temporary door in the doorway of one room, so it opens the opposite way to the permanent door. i,e, you would leave the permanent door in place.

Best thing would be get someone to make you one from something thin like pine or tongued and grooved planks. And then add hinges ones side and a hook and eye fastener the other side. Fit the chipped cat flap into the temporary door.

When the cat flap isn't in use the temporary door can be left open all the time. I have something like this fitted at the top of my stairs, designed by me, and made by my OH. I could PM you a photo if you'd like to see it. :)
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Oh yes please before I pull my hair out from Oriental greedyness lol!

I've contacted surepet so I will see what they say. I scrolled through their Facebook page and found a few others who have the same issue so it's a definite design flaw.
 
#5 ·
As soon as I started watching that video Rafa hove over my shoulder, big golden beadies all agog....:rolleyes:

I don't know what your solution is beyond emailing the clip to Surepet as @chillminx says. They have great customer service. I don't suppose there is any food type that the other cats like but Vinnie doesn't?

I just have to say what a clever boy he is though. If Teddy could do that my life would be a lot harder!
 
#10 ·
Only just seen this. I have no suggestions but my Tommy says he is very proud of Vinny. Tommy has a similar approach to the C20 when we used those timed feeders. He never worked out how to break into the chipped feeders but tends to reach around his sister and grab food while she is eating so I gave up, except as an emergency fallback xx
 
#17 ·
#25 ·
The verdict is in
..

Vinnie 0 bowls 1

Bilbos bowl was half way across the kitchen but the lid was still firmly in place with whatever food bilbo had left in it.

Djangos bowl had been shuffled abit but again the scraps were left in.

Very chuffed BUT will they withstand his constant abuse!! He will THROW chip bowls to break into them so I'll update you all in a week ...!
 
#28 ·
Vinnie : 28839283829 Bowls : 1

Oh dear... so much for the new lids.

This is just a snippet of what's gone off the past two weeks. I upped his food to try and fulfill him more and stop him but he just ate the food plus extra plus bilbo or djangos or sometimes both.

Back to square one, guess it's time to email sure pet again although I'm not sure what they can offer. The whole point is to keep him out but clearly these rules dont apply to him!!

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#36 ·
oliviarussian said:
Vinnie is one smart and determined lad!!!... not meaning to underplay your problem but I have to say I'm quietly impressed!
Click to expand...
That's the annoying thing, I'm smacking my head against the window cause it drives me nuts but I'm also secretly impressed and proud ?!
 
#32 · (Edited)
Is Vinnie the largest of your cats? Even if he isn't, he seems like he needs space to work -- perhaps a solution similar to the one used in the below video may work for you? (It'll definitely work for people who's cats steal while the cat with the microchip is activating their own bowl, at least!) If you use a basket of some kind with a custom-made opening too small to get the top open, and too weighted to flip over or pull the entire thing out (I'd suggest sowing in some arm/leg weights at the corners of the basket), you might save yourself a lot of trouble, even if it would me an initial hassle! Hopefully the company get back to you, and are able to refine a new design to send, but I imagine this may work, if you find the perfect containers!


As an aside, maybe get your little puzzle solver some complex puzzle feeders for his meal, or some treats he really likes to keep him entertained, so he's less inclined to puzzle solve his way into the other cat's bowls? There are some really complex ones intended for dogs, but no reason they can't be used for cats!
 
#34 ·
I'll watch the vid when I get a moment! Vinnie isnt the largest no that would be my fat chunky British Shorthair django. Even if I created some sort of confined space....Orientals are the gymnasts of the cafe world. He is like a snake, long and slender and can get into any nook and cranny, and even if his body doesnt fit his ridiculously long legs will reach it for him LOL!

I got a puzzle feeder free from royal canin once and cause of his face shape again long and pointy he could forcefully push his face into any small gaps and use his cobra like tongue to grab the food.

He is a nightmare!!!
 
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