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 for dogs:

• KONG® Wobbler

• Kibble Nibble

• Tug a Jug

• Snuffle Mat

• Interactive Silicone Snuffle Mat

Retail products for cats:

• No Bowl Cat Feeding System

• KONG® Activity Ball

• KONG® Cat Wobbler

• TRIXIE Activity Toys

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

• Jackson Galaxy® Butterfly Ball

• PetZone® Fly By Spinner

• PetSafe® Egg-Cersizer

These DIY feeder and enrichment ideas are easy to make out of upcycled articles you have at home. DIY options for dogs:

• 6 DIY Food Puzzles

• Water Bottle Crunch

• Spinning Feeder Toy

• Kikopup | DIY Interactive Dog Toys

DIY options for cats:

• Space Cat Academy

• Food Puzzles for Cats

• Feline Enrichment for Indoor Cats, Best Friends®

• Feline DIY Enrichment, ASPCA®

• 7 DIY Cat Food Puzzle Toys

• 20 Fun & Easy DIY Cat Toys

Any time a pet is left home alone, or may otherwise need something to keep them occupied, toys with frozen food inside can be long-lasting and highly enriching. While canned pet food is the traditional stuffing for these toys, feel free to experiment and offer variety. KONG® has their own recipe page where you can get ideas. Other food options for stuffing/freezing include kibble mixed with Easy Cheese, oatmeal, peanut butter, human baby food, and marshmallow creme, if well-tolerated.

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

• KONG® Classic

• KONG® Tire Toy

• KONG® Ribbon
  

Games and training are also important!

For dogs:

• Indoor Doggie Games

• 101 Things to do with a Box 

• Kikopup

• Scent Games: Educating Your Dog's Nose with Susan Clothier

• Scent Work: DogKind

• Confidence Building: DogKind
  

For cats:

• Cat Alone 2

• Endless Games for Cats and Kittens

• Nosework Cats

These amazing resources will help you tranform your cat's environment and maximize enrichment throughout 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

• The Indoor Cat Initiative, The Ohio State University's Cat Enrichment Portal

• Catastrophic Creations

• Hauspanther

• Catio Spaces
  

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