Enrichment

Mental enrichment is incredibly important to the health and well-being of all animals, but especially for those experiencing behavior problems. These pets, in particular, tend be highly intelligent and require outlets for exploration and critical thinking.

• Do your best to get your pet some physical exercise every day. With puppies/kittens and seniors follow vet recommendations for their breed, age, and size.

• Mental stimulation should be done every day and is just as beneficial (if not more important!) as physical stimulation.

• By using puzzle toys, you can replace meals with a game requiring your pet to think about how to get food instead of eating from a bowl.

• Training is also a great way to work on mental stimulation.

• When providing mental stimulation, be sure to start with easy puzzles and games (hide and seek, for example) and gradually move up to more complex ones. We are not trying to frustrate the pet, but encouraging them to work on problem solving abilities and learn new skills.

Feeder toys are an easy way to increase mental enrichment. We recommend discontinuing the use of food bowls or dishes, and switch to providing meals exclusively from feeder toys. It increases the length of time it takes to eat, and encourages your pet to think about how to obtain their meal.

Retail products:

• KONG® Wobbler

• Kibble Nibble

• Tug a Jug

• Snuffle Mat

• No Bowl Cat Feeding System

• KONG®Activity Ball

• Trixie Activity Toys

• Doc & Phoebe's Cat Co.® Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder Kit

DIY options: These feeder toys are fairly easy to make out of recycled articles at home.

• 6 DIY Food Puzzles

• Water Bottle Crunch

• Spinning Feeder Toy

• Feline DIY Enrichment

• Space Cat Academy

Any time a pet is left home alone or may otherwise need something to keep them occupied, toys with frozen food inside can be highly enriching. While canned food is the traditionally stuffing for these toys, feel free to experiment. KONG® has their own recipe page where you can get ideas.

• Get creative and explore The Art of Stuffing Puzzle Toys!

• KONG® Classic

• KONG® Tire Toy

• KONG® Ribbon

Games and training are also important!

• Indoor Doggie Games

• 101 Things to do With a Box

• Cat Alone 2

• Endless Games for Cats and Kittens

• Food Puzzles for Cats

• Nosework Cats

These books have amazing ideas for cat enrichment in your home!

• Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat-Friendly Home by Jackson Galaxy

• Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) by Jackson Galaxy

• Visit The Ohio State University's Cat Enrichment Portal, The Indoor Cat Initiative, to learn more!

Consider joining the Facebook groups Canine Enrichment and Feline Enrichment for more ideas.