First of all, let’s start with the definition of brain enrichment! Brain enrichment is the practice of making your pet’s life interesting & stimulating so that boredom is decreased, thus helping to prevent or aid in improving other behavioral issues.
The topic of brain enrichment has been on my mind a lot lately as we are nearing the end of Winter. While the weather is creeping up slowly to Spring we are all running out of patience!! I have cabin fever, my son has cabin fever, every dog I know has cabin fever. In my next blog I will discuss necessary safety measures for outdoor time throughout the different seasons. So for now, I'll just say it is important to give our furry friends the opportunity to have both indoor & outdoor time year round.
In today’s blog I’m going to cover ways to keep your cats & dogs from getting bored! Please click the blue letters to open a new tab to my recommended products!
Note: honestly, cats & dogs have more in common than people realize. A lot of these tips work for both cats & dogs, so for those who just want to read about dogs or just about cats, I’m listing things twice.
TIPS FOR DOGGOS
INDOOR: these activities can help cut down on problem behaviors such as marking indoors, excessive chewing, or barking.
Make your dog work for their food with puzzle toys & more:
Stair runs: for food motivated Doggos I simply grab some treats, go to the bottom (or top) of the stairs & toss a treat! Then the dog runs down the stairs to get the treat. I instruct them to come back up to me, then we repeat! I have noticed that this works best on carpeted stairs if possible. During this year’s Polar Vortex I have even done this in apartment’s hallway stairs. Anything for my furry friends!
Food tumble toys: these are great to add to your weekly rotation, using anywhere from 2-4 times so as the dog will not grow immediately bored of it.
Food mat for raw or canned foods: this is another great product to rotate in for meal times! While it is dishwasher safe, I have found it is easiest to wash by hand.
Food dispensing toys: another great product to add into the rotation. This one I use more frequently since it keeps them moving. Yay exercise!!
And lastly, that kong kong kong kong KONG! Simply freezing peanut butter, dog friendly broth, or water in a Kong is a surefire way to keep your furry friend busy for a while!
Make your dog search for their food:
Snuffle Mat DIY: wait. WHAT did I just say?! A snuffle mat has long cuts of cloth so food can hide out while your dog searches for it! Here are instructions so you can make your own!
Learn new commands & obedience training:
Make it fun! Teach your doggo how to grab their leash, turn off the lights, or even work on impulse control which will come in handy while you’re out for walks!
https://iheartdogs.com/how-to-train-your-dog-to-shut-doors-turn-off-lights/
Agility enrichment activities:
Play hide & seek
Build an indoor obstacle course: grab things like brooms, chairs, pillows, boxes, etc to build a course or tunnels, then help your doggo navigate it with the help of healthy treats!
Be sure to rotate toys from time to time to keep things fresh. Some people like to only have a few toys out at a time, while others prefer to just change locations for their dog's toys. Test both & see what works best for you & your dog!
OUTDOOR: obvious things like going for a walk or run & playing fetch. Be sure to mind the weather conditions & adjust accordingly!
Less obvious things like letting your doggo sniff! While going the distance may be good for a dog's physical health, what about their mental health? I like to strive for meeting both needs during my walks. Research shows that it is important to give dogs choices, the opportunity to use their nose, & the opportunity to make decisions. So my motto? Keep the doggo in shape, but also help them feel happy & content!
“The bottom line is simple: Let a dog's walk be for them, and if they're pulling you here and there with their nose pinned to the ground and occasionally snorting, let them do it. I've often thought that not allowing dogs to sniff and to exercise their nostrils and other senses could be a form of sensory deprivation. Thus, I was thrilled when a woman at a dog park once said to me, rather seriously, that she thought that not allowing dogs to use their noses the way they want could cause serious psychological problems. I’ve thought about this a lot since then. We really don’t know if dogs suffer psychologically when they’re deprived and can’t fulfill their need to sniff and pee if they choose to do so. Surely, when dogs are rushed along, they don’t get to savor and properly assess and process various odors, and who knows what this does to them. This form of sensory deprivation might be devastating, since they lose detailed information about their social and nonsocial worlds.”
TIPS FOR CATTOS
INDOOR: these activities can help cut down on problem behaviors such as going to the bathroom or spraying out of the litter box, excessive scratching, or other destructive behaviors.
Make your cat work for their food with puzzle toys & more:
Food mat for raw or canned foods: this is another great product to rotate in for meal times! While it is dishwasher safe, I have found it is easiest to wash by hand.
Food dispensing toys: another great product to add into the rotation. This one I use more frequently since it keeps them moving. Yay exercise!! And, added bonus: this is so beneficial for the HCKE model as described below.
Freezing sardine or tuna juice in water to make ice cubes: wet & raw fed cats get most of their water intake from their diets, so this is a great way to sneak a bit more water into them while also giving them something fun & tasty to do!
Make your cat search for their food:
Puzzle food toy: this product is great to add to your weekly food tool rotation, using anywhere from 2-4 times so as the catto will not grow bored of it.
Snuffle Mat DIY: wait. WHAT did I just say?! A snuffle mat has long cuts of cloth so food can hide out while your cat searches for it! Here are instructions so you can make your own!
Learn new commands:
Clicker training: cats have a reputation of being stubborn & untrainable, but once you find out what their high value motivator is, you can train them to do many cool things like high-fiving, weaving through your legs, or even jumping through a hoop! Check out the Cat Training Academy for more info!
Agility enrichment activities: we have a very active kitty, so I've done a lot of trial & error with this subject. So brace yourselves, I'm providing a lot of information here!
Springs: honestly, I kind of dislike whoever invented these… only because I am so jealous that I didn’t think of it first! Our 1.5 year old kitty plays with these springs non-stop. We have at least 15 that are currently in use. She loves playing fetch with them, as well as getting her own little game of kitty soccer going. She also loves taking them into the bathtub & chasing them around in there. It keeps all of us very entertained. Super affordable, & non-stop fun. Obviously I cannot recommend these enough!
Battery powered interactive hunting toy: over Christmas I was caring for one of my regular cat clients who got one of these for Christmas. He was absolutely obsessed with it, so I decided to give it a go. Our kitty has so much energy, so this gives me a nice break when she is crying because she wants to play, but I have things to do like… writing a blog!
Wand toys: so versatile, the sky is truly the limit! Our kitty loves chasing after her favorite wands along the floor, in the air, & up & down one of her cat trees.
Lasers are good to get many cats in the mood for playing, but it is very important to then circle back around & how do I say this nicely… give them something to kill! The Cat Daddy explains the WHY behind this, saying that cats are naturally inclined to live in the HCKE rhythm. What does that mean? Cats hunt (chase, track, stalk), catch (woo hoo I caught the spring, ball, stuffed toy, etc.), kill (simulate killing their prey ), eat (meal time!!). Incorporating this into your cat's routine helps them to feel confident, thus avoiding or curbing behavioral problems.
Water games: our cat is not personally a fan of water toys, but I know many who love these!
Bonus ideas to keep your kitty entertained & active:
Hide & seek: it’s so fun to watch as your cat inches closer & closer, only to give you the grand finale of booping you on the head then running off.
Make an obstacle course
Kitty Soccer: use springs rather than a ball & marvel at your cattos' goal tending skills!
This one is pretty obvious.. even lions love BOXES!!
Advanced level box play: put a toy in a box!
Games on iPad: this is another one of my life hacks when I have things to do but the kitty is wanting to play! She pounces at the mice for a while, then spends a while tracking the mice, then falls asleep. It’s too cute to watch. Here’s a link to our kitty’s absolute favorite!
Be sure to rotate toys from time to time to keep things fresh. Some people like to only have a few toys out at a time, while others prefer to just change locations for their cat's toys. Test both & see what works best for you & your cat!
OUTDOOR: outdoor time for cats is important, even though most cats are considered to be ‘indoor cats.’ The key is to make sure it is supervised. Why do so many pet professionals recommend supervised outdoor time only?
Free roaming cats have a *high fatality rate. What are the top risk factors?
Getting run over by a car
While cats are EXCELLENT hunters – they are fairly small predators – thus making them both predator & prey
Getting stuck due to their innate curiosity
Free roaming cats go way further than their owners think they do
Animal control may pick them up
Eating things they shouldn’t such as toxins, & more
*93% of people who let their cats free roam have permanently lost at least one cat... 5.4 MILLION cats are hit by cars every year in the US... 97% of cats do not make it after they have been hit by cars.
So what are the alternatives?
Leashed walks: yes, I know it sounds crazy, but believe it or not many cats love going for a stroll around the yard in their leash & harness! Here is my favorite:
Cattios: great if you have the space & a handy person in your life!
Cat tents: make sure not to leave them unattended, as they are not as sturdy as a cattio so they are vulnerable to predators.
Bonus tip: make sure to comb your cat with a flea comb after outside time!
These are great ideas. My dogs love their puzzle toys and snuffle mat. I'm going to get some springs for my sister's kitten.
These are great ideas. My dogs love their puzzle toys and snuffle mat. I'm going to get some springs for my sister's kitten.