Love It: Contempo Tessa

Lately we have been testing quite a few food dispensing toys at our house.  Seeing as Athena eats out of different toys two to three times per day, we have become very familiar with the pros and cons of each toy.

One toy that is at the top of our list is the Ethical Contempo Tessa.  I have actually never seen this toy sold in a pet store, only online at Amazon and Pet Mountain.  I'm a bit shocked at how much we love this toy because it only cost us $6.00 (see our Pet Mountain haul here)!

Athena waiting patiently for her dinner

The Contempo Tessa works much like the Kong Wobbler and the StarMark Bob-a-Lot in that it has a weighted bottom to allow for "wobbling" action.  The difficulty of the toy can be adjusted by spinning the lever on the bottom chamber where the food is placed.  Not only does the dog have to get the food out of the bottom chamber, but they then must knock the food out of a small hole on the side of the toy. This toy will keep Athena occupied for about thirty minutes with 1/2 cup of kibble inside.

Contempo Tessa's pieces

Bottom chamber where kibble is stored

Athena mostly uses her nose to scoot the toy around and will occasionally bat at it with her paws if it gets stuck in a corner.  The tip of the Contempo Tessa is narrow, so Athena will sometimes pick it up with her teeth to move it to a new location.    This has left a few teeth marks on the top, but she has not come close to puncturing the plastic.

Athena scooting the toy all around the house

My one complaint with this toy is that it can be frustrating and time consuming to fill.  Pouring kibble into the bottom chamber takes some time and it can be difficult to twist the top and bottom parts of the toy together.  However, I think it's worth the slight frustration!

When can I have it, dad?!

As far as durability, this toy has lasted one month without any significant damage (other than a few teeth scratches on the top from Athena carrying it around in her mouth).  We make sure to remove the toy as soon as all of the kibble is gone so that Athena won't use it as a chew toy.  For $6.00 this toy certainly passes the durability for your money test!

Unlike the Kong Wobbler, the Contempo Tessa allows for difficulty adjustment making it fit the needs of many dogs.  Its ease of use for the handler is similar to the StarMark Bob-a-Lot in that it can be time consuming to fill.  Also, the Contempo Tessa cannot hold as much kibble as both the Kong Wobbler and the StarMark Bob-a-Lot.

Have you tried the Contempo Tessa, Kong Wobbler, or StarMark Bob-a-Lot?  What do you like (or not like) about them?