New slot machine for cats that dispenses treats goes viral, preorders pile up within minutes: ‘My cat would bankrupt me in a week pulling that lever’

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Jun 23, 2026 5:30 PM EDT

As if we needed one more reason for our cats to keep us up all night with repetitive noises.

We don't know about you guys, but we're pretty much done with buying our cats toys. Every time we do, no matter how much it is advertised as enjoyable for every cat, no matter how many colors, feathers, or whatever other gadgets and gizmos it has, they get bored with it after a few minutes. In fact, they enjoy the trash they find on the floor purrfectly more than anything we've ever bought them. Our cat has had a crumpled-up ball of aluminum foil that she has played with for literally a whole year. But the automatic play ball that moves on its own and is supposed to activate their hunting instincts? She won't even look at it anymore.

But, that doesn't stop cat pawrents from trying to find the next best thing to keep their kitties engaged, and this time, we've turned to slot machines. Yes, a new toy developed by Circuit Cindy is a treat dispenser in the form of a cutesy pink slot machine. The cat presses the lever, the reels spin, and if the cat gets 3 in a row, a treat falls out the bottom, gum ball machine-style. However, knowing that cats can get bored pretty quickly, the toy comes with a "pity system", allowing the pawrent to set a difficulty level and essentially guaranteeing them a win to stop the cat from getting frustrated.

Now, we're not going to lie - this is adorable. And the thought of turning our sweet, innocent fur babies into gambling maniacs is tempting, but we want to paint you a picture of what we think your life will look like with this toy. Once they figure out that they can get treats from it if they press the lever enough times, you'll never hear the end of it. Hours upon hours of the sound of the lever going up and down, the reels spinning, and frustrated complaints from your cat upon not receiving the treats they deserve. It might be cute for a little bit, but when you've been hearing it since 1 AM and it's currently 4 AM, it won't be so cute anymore.

01

via @Dexerto
02

via @Dexerto
03

via @Dexerto
We might get this even if our cat won't use it. It's meowtrageously cute, and who says we have to use it for cat treats? We could use it for candy, or go back to our roots and put actual gum balls inside. If it won't keep them entertained, it certainly will work on us.
04

via @Dexerto
05

via @Noble_Imoh
06

via @Coquicide
07

via @ActuallyArby
08

via @1Khanzai
09

via @Feebux
10

via @JenniH21600466
11

via @techedgedaily
One of our cats is extremely smart. Like, she can open doors, smart. She would figure this out in a matter of minutes, and, like our example above, she wouldn't stop until she finished all the treats in the machine. Then, she would yell at us until we filled it back up again, and thus the cycle would start over from the beginning.
12

via @GrimnoGhost
13

via @kevlorix
14

via @cugorji1
15

via @Duretum
16

via @Rajamaja2
17

via @croccatofficial
18

via CircuitCindy

"A few months ago I built this little machine in my living room, modeling, 3D printing, coding, and assembling the electronics…and now it's on the way to becoming an actual product"