FoodFlip
A low, wide, mouse-like wobble pod that turns a cat's paw into motion, motion into moving kibble, and moving kibble into an occasional reward.
Prey cues outside. Mechanics inside.
The ears, eyes, outlet, and tail make the object read as a cat toy. The internal stack makes it function as a passive enrichment mechanism.
Why would a cat paw it?
1. It smells interesting
Dry food is inside, and optional catnip can sit in the internal scent chamber.
2. It responds immediately
A nose or paw makes the low pod rock, rotate, and rattle instead of behaving like a dead plastic object.
3. It sometimes pays off
As treats move through the maze, an occasional piece reaches the outlet. The cat learns that interacting with the object can produce food.
Five functional systems.
Wobble body
Three-lobed, low/wide shell with a front 18 × 9 mm outlet, eye pockets, and a rear tail.
Mouse-ear hatch
Flush seated top with hidden bayonet lugs. The ears give kids a tactile twist grip.
Scent lid
Perforated removable disk under the hatch for a pinch of catnip or silvervine.
Maze insert
Near-full-width removable floor that changes the path and probability of dispensing.
Ballast puck
Separate 56 × 14 mm printed mass intended to lower the center of gravity.
Fit coupon
A small receiver coupon lets you tune hatch/bayonet clearance without printing the entire body.
Designed for ordinary FDM printers.
0.4 mm nozzle
The baseline geometry targets a conventional 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.20 mm layer height.
PETG or PLA
PETG is preferred for durable repeated use; PLA is convenient for fit and geometry testing.
Dry treats only
V1 is designed around dry kibble or dry treats. It is not a wet-food feeder.
Printability note: the current integrated tail may require support depending on printer orientation and slicer settings. Tail geometry is intentionally still an iteration point.
Get notified when the print package is available to purchase.
The release is planned to include the editable CAD source, print files, maze options, fit resources, build guidance, and supporting documentation.