Harder puzzle toys for bored Tonkinese cats

A Tonkinese who's cracked the puzzle feeder and is now bored with it — that's a very specific kind of problem, and honestly a good one to have, because it means the enrichment is working, you just need to level up. Tonkinese are one of the most cognitively demanding breeds going; they genuinely need harder problems as they get faster at solving easier ones. Before I point you toward something specific, can you tell me what puzzle feeder they've outgrown — is it a sliding tile type, a wobble feeder, or something else? And is the boredom showing up as pestering you, knocking things off surfaces, or something else entirely?

Two minutes on a level 2 and then the desk-clearing performance — yes, that's a bored Tonkinese telling you he's underemployed. The desk-knocking is classic attention-seeking from a cat who needs more to do with his brain. The food motivation is actually really useful here, because the best step up for him is a puzzle that combines physical manipulation with genuine problem-solving rather than just sliding tiles. How much time are you able to spend doing interactive play sessions each day, and are you open to something that takes a bit of setup from you, or do you need something he can work independently?

That combination of an evening interactive session plus daytime independent enrichment is actually the ideal setup. For the independent daytime challenge, I'd recommend the Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Cat Puzzle Rainy Day — it's a level 3 puzzle with multiple compartment types including sliding covers, lift-and-reveal pegs, and rotating pieces all on the same board. For a cat who's mastered a level 2 slider, this is a genuine step up because he can't solve it with one repeatable motion; he has to switch strategies across different sections. It's also well-made enough that he won't be able to flip it or force it. Load it with his kibble allowance or a few high-value treats and leave it out while you're working. For your evening sessions, keep a wand toy separate — that handles the attention-seeking and physical energy in a way no puzzle feeder replaces.

Honestly, yes — a smart Tonkinese will get faster on any fixed puzzle over time, but the Rainy Day buys you considerably longer than a level 2 board because the multi-mechanism design means the learning curve is steeper. The practical trick to extending its lifespan is rotation: put it away for two or three weeks after he's clearly mastered it, then reintroduce it. Cats don't retain puzzle solutions the way dogs do, so the gap genuinely resets the challenge. You can also increase difficulty by using larger kibble pieces that are harder to scoop out, or by reducing the treat density so he has to check more compartments. If he does eventually outpace it, Nina Ottosson's level 3 Puzzle Box is the logical next step — but I'd give the Rainy Day a good few months first.

Great plan. One last thing worth knowing: introduce it with slightly smellier treats than usual the first time — a bit of tuna or a crumbled treat on top — so he engages with it immediately rather than giving it a suspicious sniff and walking away. Once he's worked it a couple of times and knows there's reward inside, plain kibble will do the job. The desk-knocking should ease off pretty quickly once his brain has a proper job to do.