Boredom busters to beat boredom blues

Brain gym for pets

Pets need life experiences. If you can’t get them outside, here’s some indoor stimulation.

• Teach them the name of their toys. If they know ‘Fetch’ then add on a name at the end like “Fetch Sandy”. Repetition is key. Lots of practise, praise and positive reward (e.g. treats).
• Make a food puzzle. Problem-solving will keep their mind active. These can be made at home – for some ideas click here.
• Cognitive skills for dogs. There are some fantastic resources online for developing Dognition (Dog cognition). Google is a treasure trove.

Jump for joy

• Create an indoor agility course. Think cross fit for pets. Create 5-10 stations, such as a 3-towel jump. A challenge for both the pet and you.
• Create a scavenger hunt. Do this around the house by hiding treats in places you know your cat will frequent.
• Bubblemania for all – Cats & dogs and kids love playing with bubbles for hours. We love those monster bubble rings best! Most bubble liquid is fine but check the ingredients list on your bottle to ensure there’s nothing that could be toxic to two-legged and four-legged family members.

Have fun and remember – if your pet is destroying things, stealing things or meowing all the time, they are not being naughty. Just bored.