To keep your pet happy, healthy, and entertained, you must provide them with enrichment toys and stimulating activities. Without adequate enrichment, cats and dogs can develop stress, anxiety, problem behaviors, obesity, and numerous other health issues. To increase your four-legged friend’s enrichment opportunities, follow our  Star of Texas Veterinary Hospital team’s guide to do-it-yourself (DIY) toys and entertaining activity ideas.

Enrichment categories for pets

Pets require all sorts of enrichment to fulfill their physical, mental, and social needs. The best toys and activities incorporate multiple enrichment categories to provide your pet with the most entertainment and stimulation. Typically, enrichment is classified as being in one or more of the following five categories:

  • Sensory enrichment — Sensory enrichment focuses on items or activities that appeal to your pet’s five senses: taste, sight, sound, smell, and touch.
  • Occupational enrichment — Giving your pet a job to do that exercises their brain provides occupational enrichment.
  • Physical enrichment — Physical enrichment ensures your pet receives plenty of physical activity.
  • Social enrichment — All cats and dogs need positive social interaction, but some pets require more social enrichment than others.
  • Nutritional enrichment — Serving your pet various foods in different ways can provide nutritional enrichment.

Sensory enrichment for pets

Sensory enrichment toys and activities encourage your pet to use their senses to explore. Consider making these DIY sensory enrichment toys for your pet:

  • Taste — If your pet has become accustomed to eating the same food day after day, introduce your furry pal to unique flavors and textures by serving them fresh fruit, veggies, and properly prepared lean meats in various food puzzles.
  • Sight — Give your house cat a perch with a view by placing a lookout tower in front of a window that overlooks a bird feeder. You can also play games with your pet by placing treats inside a clear container. Use various patterns, shapes, and colors when choosing your pet’s toys, and rotate them for novelty.
  • Sound — Toys that crinkle when chewed or jingle when batted are not only easy to make, but fun for your furry pal. Stuff an empty plastic bottle inside an old sock, tying off the end to give your dog something crinkly and crunchy on which to gnaw. You can also wrap a small bell inside alternating fleece squares with slit edges. Tie the strands together to secure the bell inside and to encourage your cat to pounce on the prey.
  • Smell — Your pet’s sense of smell is incredibly powerful, and they can easily sniff out all manner of scent, especially food. Use a handful of your pet’s favorite treats to make a scent trail to the snack jackpot by dragging a strong-smelling treat along the floor, leading to the snack pile.
  • Touch — Various textures, surfaces, and temperatures can provide your pet with tactile enrichment. Create a fun treat by mixing crunchy apple pieces in creamy xylitol-free peanut butter. You can also hide your pet’s favorite treats or small durable toys in a bowl filled with ice cubes, and let your pet scoop out the goodies.

Occupational enrichment for pets

A job fills a large chunk of your waking hours, but your furry pal’s days can become dull. Choose an activity or toy that caters to your pet’s instinctive behaviors to encourage them to participate. For example, design a rewarding game during which your cat must climb to a tower top to reach a treat or must stick their paw in a box to reach the reward. For your dog, hide toys or treats in an outdoor sandbox. If the weather is inclement, make an indoor digging box by filling it with paper, cardboard tubes, or fabric scraps.

Physical enrichment for pets

Many pets do not receive adequate exercise to maintain a healthy body condition. Encourage your pet to be active by designing an agility course out of furniture and household items, and include jumps, weave poles, and tunnels. To guide your pet through the course, hold a toy or treat in front of them as they make their way through. Ensure you reward them at the end for a job well done.

Social enrichment for pets

Any game or activity you create that encourages interaction between pets and people can fulfill your furry pal’s social needs. While not all pets are social butterflies, every pet enjoys the company of a certain person or pet. If your dog enjoys meeting new companions, visit a pet-friendly restaurant and relax on the patio as your furry pal says hi to new two- and four-legged friends. If your cat only appreciates your company, spend extra time grooming your feline friend or participating in interactive play.

Nutritional enrichment for pets

Your pet needs to eat, but you can make the experience entertaining and engaging by offering various textures, flavors, and serving items. Design your own food puzzles out of fabric scraps, plastic bottles, or cardboard boxes and tubes. Stitch together a snuffle mat, cut holes in a plastic bottle from which kibble can fall, or hide food morsels inside boxes and tubes for your furry pal to sniff out. You can also offer novel foods your pet has not tried before. 

All enrichment types are essential for improving your four-legged friend’s health, happiness, and wellbeing. For other engaging DIY toy and activity ideas to enrich your pet’s life, talk with our Star of Texas Veterinary Hospital team.