Oh my dog, yes I am going there! What is feline and canine enrichment, get ready for my interpretation – Something that your cat or dog does, that they like but in a supervised healthy form.
Feline Enrichment
You know all those Christmas boxes? Well, if you haven’t recycled them just yet, your cat would love to play in them! That tissue paper, they like to shred that, and those bows are great for your cat to bat around the house for a few more days. If you have already gotten rid of the remnants of Christmas, there are enrichment toys on amazon, your local pet store or if you like DIY you can find tons of ideas on Pinterest. Below are a few of my favorites. These are affiliate links, but seriously I love cat toys! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Over the holidays while the kids were out of school I decided to make an easier way into our cat room that houses the litter boxes and cat food. Our dogs love Kitty Rocha (yuck) and I needed a better way for my older kitty Sushi to get in and out without being bothered by Soba (Soba loves to give her kisses, Sushi isn’t a fan). I think this DIY is the best thing ever, Adam on the other hand probably rolled his eyes while I was doing it. It’s called a kitty pass, this one is the wall version, we have door versions as well. See how cute Sushi is!
Canine Enrichment
Now, what about dogs? Well, they love to tear stuff up so we let them open their Christmas presents! The shred mess isn’t any more than if your young kiddo was opening presents. Dogs love to search and use those cute noses, so let them!
I do mostly home cooked or raw with my dogs so I don’t do much food enrichment during the colder months. If you feed kibble, you can always save toilet paper rolls and boxes to hid kibble in and allow your dog to tear those open. Puzzle feeders are available for sale in most pet stores and online. You can also hide treats, toys or even yourself for your dogs to find. In the summer I like to put pieces of apples, carrots and treats all over the yard. Lick mats are a great option as well, they come in super cute patterns and shapes.
Training with you dog is also enrichment, it builds your bond, strengthens you and your dog’s skills. This year when Udon and Soba were on home rest for injuries, I had to be creative on how to get their energy out. We had to do that without them jumping or walking too much. If you need more advice or help, reach out to your trainer or myself. Did you know there are several books available just on enrichment? Remember, if your dog is being naughty, they probably are not getting their needs met or need something is wrong.
For those of you in my local area, I will be teaching in person classes to help you and your animals. Sorry guys, these ones are in-person only. Email me for more information.