Well, we have a few tips from our staff and doctors for fun indoor activities to keep your pets active and occupied indoors until the snow melts and the days lengthen. Both dogs and cats indoors benefit from daily interaction, stimulation and exercise!
For our canine friends and their owners:
Get Back to the Basics
Dogs benefit from mental exercise as well as physical exercise. Practice basic obedience exercises with your dog in your living room, while cooking dinner, even in the bathroom! Work in fast, fun segments of 5 minutes each. Change it up: do a sit-stay for 30 seconds in the kitchen, then run upstairs with your dog and practice a down-stay for 30 seconds in the bedroom. Repeat, changing rooms every time. Make sure to use lots of praise, and reward with treats or toy play.
*For added fun, try other fun tricks! Teach your dog to sit pretty, step up on a stepstool, give a paw, or go through your legs.
Go Chew, Freezie Style
Freeze a Kong toy or other chew toy with treats inside it. Your dog has to do some extra work to get to the food!Treat...or Not?
Dogs are mentally stimulated by random reward. There are many commercial treat/food balls for dogs that randomly release food when a dog rolls it around. For a more cost-effective version, cut holes in old soft drink bottles and put treats or kibble inside. As your pet moves it around, food falls out - stimulation and reward all at once! (**This is a great activity for your cat as well!)
Hide-and-seek Dog Treats
Hide dry dog treats or kibble throughout your house, so your dog has to forage for them (not recommended near nice furniture). This takes time and keeps your pup's mind active, helping to avoid misbehaviour caused by boredom and excess energy.
Tug-O-War
In an open area in your house, use a tug toy to play tug of war with your dog. Practice 'out' and take it commands. Reward your dog for letting go of the toy on command. Playing a game of retrieve down a long hallway (use caution with slippery floors or put down non-slip mats) can burn off excess energy as well.
For the more ambitious dog owner, many local dog trainers provide dog daycare services, indoor agility and obedience classes. You don't need to be competitive to have fun with your dog in these classes, and they can be a great winter workout for both pets and people!
For our feline friends and their owners:
Catch Me If You Can!
Many cats find the lure of a toy on a string irresistible. Get your cat excited about toys on strings by alternating fast movements with slow ones to mimic live prey. Try luring your cat upstairs, downstairs, on and off the couch. Laser pointers are also great hits with cats!
Natural Dining Style
Cats are natural hunters, catching and eating their meals in small portions. Instead of leaving food out for your cat all the time, hide small meal portions (if your cat eats dry kibble) in several different areas of the house so that your cat has to 'hunt' for it. Try under the bed, behind the couch, on top of a cat tree or shelf, etc. This is both physically and mentally stimulating for cats!
Kitty TV
Cats love visual stimulation, and many cat owners have noticed that their cats love to look out the window. To enhance your cat's viewing pleasure and provide mental stimulation, consider making a soft resting place near a well-lit window. Bird feeders placed close to a window can provide hours of entertainment for your feline friend. As an alternative, live action nature videos can provide this stimulation if a window isn't convenient. Cats like to watch birds, rodents, insects and fish!
Meowing up the Right Tree
Scratching is a natural and necessary behaviour for cats, both to mark territory and to remove excess nail sheath. Cats prefer a tall, solid scratching post, at least double their length so that they can stretch to scratch. A rough, easily shredded material like sisal rope is preferred by many cats. Cat trees provide exercise in the form of jumping, scratching and stretching, and give your cat a safe place from which they can view the world around them!
