• Have exercise play sessions every single day. Toys such as laser lights can satisfy your cat's natural instinct to chase and hunt.
• Let your cats have shelves or a cat tree to climb upward.
• Find new games to play with your cat such as hiding food in new and different areas, so your cat knows to search for it.
  • Try dividing up the food that your cat normally eats during the day and hiding it on little plates throughout your home. This will allow your cat to "hunt" for his/her food.
• Leave different cat toys out on different days, so there are new objects for your cat to play with.
• Cat toys DO NOT have to be expensive. Some cat favorites are:
  • Paper bags with the end rolled up, so that cats can get inside
  • A crumpled up piece of paper
  • A toilet paper tube
  • Some dried rice or beans in a film container
  • A few kibble inside a plastic easter egg
  • A toy or a bit of cardboard attached to the end of an old fishing pool (just be sure there is no hook!)
  • Be creative!
• Leave the radio on or the TV on a nature channel, or a repeating CatNip Video for your cat to watch.  
• Make sure your cat has places to scratch. Some cats prefer to scratch horizontally and some vertically. They also prefer different materials: cardboard, carpet, fabric, wood, or rope. Also, vertical scratching posts need to be tall enough and sturdy enough for your cat to stretch out completely and not knock it over.

Environmental Enrichment Resources for Cats:

• Ohio State University's Indoor Cat Initiative explains the importance of environmental enrichment, cat's needs, problem solving and more. A very thorough and interesting web site.
• Critter Chatter provides more Environmental Enrichment ideas, including some easy to make toys.

Ideas for Dogs:
Different breeds of dogs need different amounts of excercise and mental stimulation. Basic training can help alleviate your dog's boredom and improve your relation with him/her. Some would also benefit from Agility Training. See our Resources Page for more information.  

• Be sure that your dog has both toys to play with and items to chew on. They serve two different and important purposes.
• Toys that allow you to hide some of your dog's food inside, making your dog work for his meal. This can keep your dog busy and out of trouble. (Please adjust your dog's meals accordingly so that your dog is not over-fed.)
  • You can also take some of your dog's canned food and put it in a toy, such as a Kong toy, and then freeze it. This will give your dog something exciting several hours after you have left for the day.
  • Be careful choosing toy's for your dog and please remember that no toy is indestructible.
• Like cats, dogs often appreciate music or some other type of sound.
• Rotate your dog's toys so that s/he does not become bored with it.
• Consider having someone come by to walk your dog during the middle of the day.