Are you and your pet prepared for the cold winter ahead? With chilly weather and colder temperatures here, it’s important to make sure your pets stay happy and healthy during winter. We’ve put together some useful tips for pet owners – read on to find out more.
Rain, rain, go away
When it’s too wet to play outside, make sure you have some great indoor activities to keep your pet happy and stimulated. Indoor enrichment is very important for your pet’s physical and mental health during the winter months, when outdoor play is limited. Here are a few ways you can keep them entertained indoors.
Food enrichment
Puzzle feeders are great for cats, dogs and even other pets, such as guinea pigs and rabbits. There are many food-dispensing toys and puzzle feeders on the market but you can also make these yourself.
Puzzle feeders encourage your pet to work for their food using their mouth or paws to move objects around to reveal hidden food! This will also help your pet to use up energy and keep warm by staying active. Food-dispensing toys will provide hours of entertainment for your furry friend! Have a few different food enrichment toys and swap out with each meal to keep your pet interested and enthusiastic.
It’s been found that many animals have been found to prefer to work for food, even if the same food is available ‘for free’. Of course, some individuals are more motivated than others, so it may take some trial and error to make sure it is difficult enough to provide a challenge, but not so difficult your pet gives up.
Post Ref: https://www.spca.nz/news-and-events/news-article/winterpetcare