According to a study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, even active cats would rather have “free” food rather than work for their meal.

The researchers offered a sample of cats, the option of getting their food from a food puzzle or having access to their food on a tray. All of the cats preferred the easily available food on a tray.

This was true for active cats and cats used to using a food puzzle. The researchers added that the food puzzles used in the study may not have stimulated their natural desire to hunt and ambush their prey.

The researchers added that this does not mean that cat owners should stop using a food puzzle.