Vertically-oriented food maze for animals

A method of stimulating an animal using a vertically-oriented food maze, comprising:

• receiving at least one animal treat into a hollow housing of a vertically-oriented food maze through a treat-loading opening on a top portion of the housing;
• retaining the at least one treat in a treat resting point adjacent a treat-interaction opening disposed on a side portion of the housing;
• and
• advancing the at least one treat from the treat resting point down a ramp to a treat dispensing opening by actuation of the animal with the animal treat through the treat-interaction opening;
• and
• dispensing the animal treat to the animal through the treat dispensing opening.

A vertically-oriented food maze, comprising:

• a housing forming a hollow chamber, the housing including a treat-loading opening on a top portion of the housing for loading at least one animal treat and a treat-dispensing opening on a bottom portion of the housing for dispensing the at least one animal treat;
• at least one treat-interaction opening disposed on a first side portion of the housing to allow an animal to interact with the at least one animal treat, the treat-interaction opening also including a treat resting point groove at a top portion of the at least one ramp for retaining the at least one animal treat in the treat-interaction opening prior to the interaction with the animal;
• and
• a series of ramps disposed in a switchback manner across the hollow chamber between the top portion of the housing and the treat-dispensing opening, and from the treat-interaction opening to the treat-dispensing opening, wherein each switchback from one ramp to another ramp includes a treat-resting point with a treat-interaction opening disposed therein such that each ramp transports a treat from the treat-interaction opening to the treat-dispensing opening upon interaction by the animal with the at least one animal treat.