Here are some ideas for keeping your dogs, cats and pocket pets busy if you’re stuck at home.
Dogs:
Try teaching them a new trick or, for the not so energetic dogs, how about just a snuggle for a Netflix and Nap session together. Put on your favourite canine movie and enjoy the time together. For those that need to burn some energy, interactive games such as tug, find the treats, puzzle games and fetch are an easy way to give your dog plenty of mental stimulation, and they can help cut down on problem behaviors such as excessive chewing or barking.
Here are some ideas to try:
Find It
Hiding treats around the house is a fun way to add in some extra mental stimulation to their routine. It’s one of the most versatile games you can teach your dog and can really wear them out. It can be played anywhere, with toys or treats you already have. Start off with a simple game of ‘guess which hand’ to get them started. Then put them in another room, out of sight, while you hide a few treats. When you introduce the Find It game, start out by choosing hiding spots that allow your dog to find the “hidden” treats easily. Try placing treats behind the legs of furniture, partially in view. After you’ve hidden the treats, go get your dog and say “Find it!” right before letting them into the room. Encourage them to look around for the treats. (You might have to point them out the first few times you play. As your dog becomes better and better at finding the treats, you can hide them in more difficult places like underneath objects.
Hide-and-Seek
This game is similar to Find It—but instead of teaching your dog to hunt for their favourite treats or toys, you can teach them to search for you. Hide-and-Seek will exercise your dog’s mind and give her an opportunity to use her amazing sense of smell. It may even help them to learn to love coming when called.
Simple Homemade puzzle:
Here is a nice and simple idea to entertain you both. Make them a tennis ball muffin tin puzzle. Pet puzzles (and food dispensing toys in general) are a great way to give your Pet some extra mental stimulation. And the best part is this muffin tin puzzle is really easy to make.
All you need to do is place some treats in the muffin tin and hide them by placing the tennis balls (or use lighter ping pong balls for cats) over them. And there you have it — you’ve got your very own homemade puzzle.
Cats:
Cats benefit from mental stimulation and physical active as well. They are quite easily entertained with the most basic things lying around your home. Make it more fun for them by getting involved and having a laugh yourself.
Crumpled paper
Yep, it’s that easy. Simply crumple up a piece of paper, roll it across the floor and leave your cat to do the rest. Most cats can’t resist the sound of paper being crumpled, and will love to push it or carry it around the room. Just watch out for your cat shredding the paper ball, as your room will be covered with confetti before you know it.
A piece of string
Probably the simplest game of all, yet a piece of string or wool can provide endless entertainment for your cat. Simply drag the string across the floor and watch them stalk and chase it. Take it to the next level and add a feather or light weight ball to the end of the string as bait, tie the string to a stick, and go fishing! Remember to put it away after the game, as you don’t want your furry friend to swallow the string.
Ball Play
Ping Pong balls are great as they are light and bounce around with the slightest touch and can keep your cat entertained for ages with or without you.
It’s not only dogs that love to play fetch – cats love it too! Choose a toy that they can easily carry in their mouth, and make sure that you throw it right across the room. Your cat will love to leap around and retrieve it, and may eventually learn to bring it back to you so that you can throw it again. If your cat does bring it back, give them praise either by petting or with a healthy treat.
Let’s Not Forget Our Pocket Pets:
Hide and Seek
If the incentive is to find food treats this game can work really well. Just spread a few healthy snacks around the room for your pet to find. They might need some help at first so make it easy for them to start off with.
Hunting Game
Tie a piece of apple to a tight ribbon and pull it across the room to get your pet to ‘hunt’ the fruit.
Obstacle Course/Tunnels
Build a small and safe obstacle course using a few small boxes of different heights with treats on top of them, so that your pet is kept busy finding the treats. You can also cut holes in boxes and create tunnels for your pet to explore.