At Home Enrichment Products for Dogs and Cats
Friends and Neighbors,
The arctic temperatures are finally here in Chicago. Have you noticed your pet already getting cabin fever? Don’t worry, we’ve got lots of fun and creative recommendations to keep your pets active and enriched at home - straight from our veterinarians!
Check out these BLVD veterinarian-recommended products to keep your pets enriched this winter season!
Dogs:
The snoop treat dispenser is my favorite! My dog eats all of his meals out of this actually. It comes in a bunch of sizes. The Goughnut is really good for big chewers, but still gentle/safe for teeth in comparison to hard bones. They also offer a product guarantee, so if it rips they will replace it! - Dr. Brill.
The Ohio State University indoor pet initiative website has some great resources. You can find that here.
I'm personally a big fan of puzzle toys or I've also seen kibble dispensers with a remote button that you put across the room so your pet taps the button and then runs down a hallway for their treat. There's lots of brands but here's one I found on chewy. - Dr. Courville.
Gatsby gets all his meals out of this ball and he LOVES it. It can be a bit noisy so I only recommend it if you live on the ground floor or dislike your downstairs neighbors. You can adjust the size of the hole to fit most kibble sizes and change the difficulty. It makes meals last longer and prevents him from scarfing and reverse sneezing at every meal.
I also recommend training sessions for enrichment. Tricks are fun but training your pet to relax is even better! I recommend the Karen Overall Relaxation Protocol. - Dr. Newman.
I love games for cats and dogs because you can either marvel at your pet’s intelligence or have a good laugh at their lack thereof.
I have an extremely energetic 2 year old dog and I will vouch for the fact that exercising their brain with 10 minutes of training is easily as good at working out their energy as running around outside. I have this trick training book and have had a lot of fun with it. Just make it slow and as repetitive as necessary so your dog feels the joy of getting rewarded, and always keep it fun. - Dr. Raju.
One of my favorite puzzles that I use for my dog is the Hide ‘n Slide toy. It's the perfect size to put one or two pieces of kibble in each spot. This puzzle is nice too as it isn't too difficult for first time puzzle pups!
Another game I'll play with my dog is taking her kibble and spreading it out on a towel and then rolling up the towel. She has to sniff her food out and unroll the towel. - Dr. Silberman
Cats:
My kittens love these two from Chewy (especially the UFO): Interactive UFO Toy and Interactive Wooden Maze.
And then I also love this ASPCA resource on some DIY enrichment (because then cat owners can find ways to offer new and exciting toys without shelling out more money - I think cats enjoy novelty). - Dr. Willbright.
Both Dr. Lenyr and Dr. Blanchard recommend the Trixie Activity Board!
My favorite for Margie is the Trixie 5-1 Activity Board. It’s a great way to slow down her eating and it was fun to watch her figure out how get around the more challenging parts of the board! - Dr. Blanchard
Dr. Lenyr recommends:
Dr. Catsby's Whisker Relief Bowl
Lastly, it's also a good time to start clicker training!
We hope you find these tips useful and that they help keep your pets happy and healthy this winter. Don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or to schedule a visit. We're always here for you and your pets!
Sincerely,
The BLVD Vet Team