Quitting is feedback about the puzzle, not the cat
A Domestic Shorthair that gives up easily is giving you accurate information: at some point he worked at a feeder, got nothing, and filed the whole category under "not worth it." Unlike purebred cats bred for intense food drive or problem-solving, the average shorthair is a pragmatic hunter who conserves effort, and he will not persist at an unrewarding object when experience says meals normally arrive in a bowl.
Restart with puzzles he cannot fail
Throw out the feeder he abandoned for now and begin with formats where the food is visible and the action is obvious. An open cardboard egg carton with a few pieces of his kibble or a favourite treat in the cups asks only for a dip of the head or a paw. Cardboard tubes stood upright with a piece at the bottom invite a tip-over, which most shorthairs discover by accident and then repeat deliberately. A rolling ball feeder set to its widest opening, so one bat releases food, teaches cause and effect in a single session. Use the most appealing food he is allowed for these first rebuild sessions, because the smell of something he genuinely wants carries him through the first uncertain attempts.
A ladder he climbs without noticing
Progress in single, small moves, and only when the current stage looks boring. From the open egg carton, close the lid with holes cut so he can smell and see the food but must paw it out. From the upright tubes, lay some on their sides so he has to roll them. From the wide-open rolling feeder, narrow the opening one setting at a time. Each stage should take days, not minutes, and there is no shame in camping on a stage he enjoys; fluency is enrichment too.
Structure the session so success is the habit
Feed one regular meal a day through the puzzle, measured from his daily food, so working the feeder becomes part of his normal economy rather than a bonus round he can skip. Start when he is properly hungry, before the meal rather than after a bowl feed. Sit nearby for the first sessions if your presence settles him, but do not touch the puzzle for him; a shorthair who learns that staring at you completes the task has learned a different, less useful skill. Leave the session's puzzle out afterwards with a few pieces still inside. Many quitters do their best work alone and unobserved, returning to crack the remaining pieces an hour later, and that independent completion is exactly the confidence you are building.
Troubleshooting the common sticking points
If he works for treats but not for his kibble, bridge the gap by mixing the two in the puzzle and tapering the treat share over a week. If he tips the whole feeder over and eats from the floor, choose heavier or wider-based designs and count it as problem-solving rather than cheating; the route matters less than the engagement. If he only plays and never eats from it, check that the food inside is fresh and that the feeder is washed, since stale grease smells turn many cats off entirely. And if he shows no interest in food puzzles at any level but hunts toys enthusiastically, try hiding small portions of his meal in a few spots along his usual patrol route instead, which uses the same seeking instinct in a format his temperament prefers.
Asking KinsLe's Kinny for the next difficulty step when he masters a stage keeps the ladder moving at his pace, and the notes stay beside his profile so his progress is never reset by guesswork.