During warm months, it is much easier to keep your pets
active, but what do you do during cold winters? Inactivity in
pets can often be a sign of health problems in your pet, or
can even lead to health problems. Here are some tips for your
pets:
Keeping Your Cats Active
If you've ever had an outdoor cat, you will know that they are
hunters. Growing up, my family had a cat that would leave all
sorts of trophy kills at our doorstep, such as mice, birds,
and even rabbits. For most people though, cats are indoor
pets. Indoor cats have less space to wander and explore, but
this doesn't mean that they are condemned to a life of
laziness. Below are our top tips for keeping your cats active:
1. Make sure your cat has company
If you have extra pets in your home, this will naturally keep
your pet more active than if it was a single pet. Cats
sometimes take some time to become introduced to other animals
in the house, but after a while they will usually be on good
terms. If you don't have any other pets in your household,
make sure to play with the cat yourself several times a week.
This will help you to bond with your cat and give him/her some
needed exercise.
2. Give your cat some toys
Most people think cat toys have to be purchased from a pet
store, but cats will play with about anything. We know that
cats love to play with yarn. If you don't have any yarn, rope
or thread will work just as well. If you've seen the videos of
cats chasing laser pointers, you will know that this is also a
good form of exercise. Just make sure you keep the laser dot
away from your cat's eyes. Be creative. Many different
household objects can become cat toys. I've even seen a cat
claw at the zipper on a backpack for about 15 minutes.
3. Help your cats to climb
Growing up, we had a yard full of trees that our cats would
climb. If you have an indoor cat, give them some space in your
home where they can climb. If you don't want to have them
climbing on your furniture, consider buying or building a cat
tree. A cat tree is to a cat what a jungle-gym is to a child.
Not only will it help your cat to exercise, but it will also
be a place where your cat can go to to feel relaxed.
Keeping Your Dogs Active
Most people will think that it isn't very difficult to keep
dogs active. Dogs are naturally more active than cats are, but
this doesn't mean you should ignore their activity level.
Taking your dogs on walks is definitely a good thing to do,
but often, people will stop taking their dogs on walks when
the weather starts to get colder. Here are some tips that you
can do during these times:
1. Play fetch indoors
If your home has the necessary space and you don't have
anything fragile nearby, consider playing fetch with your dog
inside. My father would often play fetch with our dog by
throwing a ball or some other type of toy down the stairs.
After about 20 or so rounds, our dog would be exhausted. It
doesn't take much effort to throw a ball or a toy, and this
will only take up a few minutes of your day.
2. Hide and seek
You played this game as a child, but did you know you can get
your dogs to play it too? Have one person watch your dog while
you hide somewhere. After you've properly hidden yourself,
have the other person release your dog. If you dog isn't
trying to look for you, consider giving your dog a treat, then
hiding yourself with another treat. The dog's nose will
ultimately find you. If you don't feel like hiding yourself,
you can always make a trail of treats throughout your home
that the dog can look for.
3. Training classes
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but with the
right amount of determination, you can train your dog whether
it is old or young. During winter months, consider taking your
dog to obedience school at a pet store or other organization.
This is a great opportunity to have your pet socialize and
exercise. If you don't have the time to enroll in a class, try
to teach your dog a new trick at home. There are many tutorial
videos that you can find online. While not all of them may
work out in the end, it is definitely time not wasted.
4. Take short walks
When walking your dogs during cold months with snow and ice,
you will want to make the walks shorter and even provide your
dog with dog booties to protect their paws from the cold. Even
a simple bathroom trip outside followed up by a few minutes of
exercise and running around are good exercise for your dog.
To conclude, keeping your pets active will not only keep them
physically healthy, but it will keep them mentally stimulated.
Active pets are happy pets. Be creative in looking for ways to
play with your cats and dogs. A little time each day is better
than nothing.
For more information on this topic or other topics, visit our
website: utahpetcare.toddgoates.com
Thanks!
For more information on giving your pet a longer, healthy, and
better life, please visit our website for more tips.
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