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Enrichment for Dogs and Cats

Find out how to keep your dog or cat’s mind occupied while you’re self-isolating…

Games

Dig out your pet’s favourite toy and get playing! This will help to strengthen the bond between you. You can also involve food, using treats as rewards to keep your pet engaged.


Tricks

Got some time to kill? Make the most of it and teach your pet some tricks. There are plenty of guides online.

Reward-based training is fun and will help to keep your dog or cat mentally stimulated.


Interactive toys

You don’t need to spend every waking moment with your pet. If they’re full of energy but you’re busy, try an interactive toy.

Kongs or puzzle feeders turn mealtimes into playtime for your dogs, and you can get puzzle toys for cats too.

You can also make toys! Got some extra cardboard lying around? Your cat will love to play with it.


Search & Sniff

If your dog is a natural explorer, try tossing a handful of small treats across the lawn or your living room and watch them sniff their way around.

If you’re wary of overfeeding your dog, you can play search and sniff games with their toys too. Just spray their toys with something that smells strongly, such as sage or lavender. When your pet starts to associate the smell with the toy, you can hide it in different places and let them have fun searching for it.


A comfy bed

Rest is important, so make sure your dog’s bed is extra comfy. Cats like high places so they can see what’s going on; be sure to put their scratching post by the window if you can. Or set up a resting place somewhere high up.


And some alone time

Now that you're spending more time than usual with your pet, try to make an extra effort to give them some alone time - this will help prevent them suffering from separation anxiety when things go back to normal. If your pet is sleeping peacefully or playing on their own, leave them to it!

For more help and advice on how to keep your pet entertained, give us a call.