I was kinda wondering how well something like this would work out of cardboard when a few people mentioned not having the carpentry skills to make one like I have for Linus (my diabetic):
The cardboard way seems complicated with the lip and clasp, but might be within more peoples skill sets. Not that I have elite building skills, mine is functional and not really pretty. I used 2 old windows screwed to four 2x2 cross pieces to make a frame. One end is metal mesh for ventilation, the other is relatively flimsy panel board with a hole jigsawed out for the petmate magnetic door flap thingie which is supported with a couple of 1x2s. A third window is screwed on top with two hinges so it can open and it's own weight keeps it shut. The windows make it nice and open, but probably cats can adapt to eating in a closed box as well. My box doesn't have a base on it, so any spilled food just ends up on the floor, spilled canned food might get ick on cardboard.
Linus gets fresh canned food put in his box 4x per day that he can eat whenever he wants. Our other 4 cats are now back to free feeding on a high counter than Linus can't get up to. Back when Linus was really fat, he couldn't jump up to this counter so we used this to portion control him while allowing the rest to free feed. Now we can leave the house and know that Linus still has food available. Linus still can't make it up to the counter the others are fed on, he's much more agile since losing weight but has never been a very confident jumper.
He adapted pretty easily. We showed him how to use the door and would manually put him in the box at feeding time. It only took 2 or 3 feedings before he was exiting the box without help. Once he learned how to use the door, we'd put him in front of the box at feeding time and he pretty quickly started entering it on his own as well. He would actually start running to the box and waiting patiently in it when he knew we'd be putting fresh food in.
A downside is the magnet attached to his collar. The metal watering dish we used to use had to be replaced as well as his magnet kept clunking against it. We sometimes know when he's been bad and has made it up on the kitchen counter as he is walking around with a spoon attached to the magnet. Comical, but we are now sure never to leave any knives kicking about just in case (a good idea anyway I suppose).
It would also be theoretically possible for on of the other goombahs to follow Linus into the box. On the plus side, the magnetic door is set up so that you don't need the collar to exit the box, just to enter it so they wouldn't be trapped unless they couldn't figure out the door. Hasn't happened yet in 2 or 3(?) years of box feeding Linus with 4 other cats in the house though.
. I usually fall right back to sleep with no problem- but NOT getting up would be great! Funny- when in Chicago I would wake up around 2am and wonder where was Sneakers- until I looked around and realized I wasn't at home for her to wake up :cry: .