I wish I could keep all my pets happy and enriched every single day.
We do our walks. We feed them healthy food. We train. We play.
But not always a lot. Not always enough. Sometimes our busy family’s schedule means they’re home alone for longer one weekend, or someone gets sick, or the school calls, or one of us has to put in extra time at work, or or or…
Here’s the thing: No one’s life is perfect.
Even if you are generally flexible, sometimes you get sick. Sometimes you have to take care of others. Sometimes you have to read Threshing Day the weekend it comes out and ACOTAR 6 the weekend it comes out.
Of course, there are tons of ways to keep your pets busy without spending a dime.
We love making food puzzles out of empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes for Stola to shred. The cats love fishing treats out of cut up pieces of felt stuffed in a cardboard box. Penny loves to pull trash out of the recycling bin when we’re not looking. (While that’s not okay, it IS enriching for her…)
However, I don’t always have the supplies or time to DIY.
Enter: enrichment toys for dogs and cats.
(If you do want to DIY, here are two of the easiest from the past: a super simple DIY cat puzzle and a plastic-free food puzzle for dogs.)
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By the way, if you don’t have a Prime membership or if yours is due for renewal, get it done now so you can jump on any Big Prime Day sales…
The 5 Best Enrichment Toys for Dogs
For Dogs Who Can’t Hold Their Licker
Perfect for dogs like Penny who love to lick, try the Woof FlipMat, Dual-Sided Dog Lick Mat & Slow Feeder, Green (standard size) or Lavender (mini size). We mix it up with peanut butter, coconut oil, and The Farmer’s Dog for mealtimes.
For Dogs with High-Tech Owners
Or, high-energy pups with safe outdoor space, invest in the PetSafe Automatic Dog Ball Launcher. A long-time big hit!
For Energetic Puppies
The Smart Interactive Dog Toys Ball for Aggressive Chewers for Small-Medium Dogs keeps the most bouncy puppy busy for a long, long time. (Did you see Stola’s reaction to this thing?!? Oh, my goodness… She LOVES it!)
For Low-Tech Quiet Fun
This Snuffle Ball for Dogs can be stuffed with kibble or treats to keep your dog quietly busy for that Teams meeting.
The Old, Reliable Food Puzzle
Works for all dogs in many circumstances. The WOOF Walkabout Dog Puzzle Slow Feeder Toy for Dogs 40 lbs & Up looks interesting to me and is going on my must-buy list for Prime Days.
We also love anything from Nina Ottosson, of course, and I like to rotate in for Stola a humongous snuffle mat for dinner, too!
The 5 Best Enrichment Toys for Cats
For Cats Who Chew
If your cat is like Ripley, always chewing on bits of plastic or houseplants, this unique scratcher includes several hanging textured toys for chewing fun.
For Pouncing Kitties
This PetBusy Smart Interactive Cat Toys for Indoor Cats Chasing and Pouncing Fun keeps energetic kittens of all ages busy.
For Cats Filled with Curiosity
Part bed, part entertainment, the Interactive Cat Toys for Indoor Cats comes with more than 40 accessories so you can always keep it fresh.
A Classic Cat Toy–All Cats Need One
This Catstages Tower of Tracks Interactive Cat Toy is a must-have for all cat-loving homes. Grab it at a great price! (TBH, we love everything from Catstages.)
A 2-in-1 Cat Tunnel and Bed Combo Perfect for Older Cats
This Cat Tunnel Bed for Indoor Cats can be stretched into a tunnel for playtime and curved into a donut for more play… or a much-deserved cat nap.
*Note: There are lots of different laser toys, including numerous electronic ones. I do not recommend that type of toy for unsupervised, unstructured play. Save them for times you’ll interact with your cats so you can reward them at the end.
Read more about cat enrichment: How to Keep Your Cat Entertained While You’re Busy (Without Losing Your Mind)
There you have it: 5 enrichment toys for dogs and 5 enrichment toys for cats!
I really like to rotate my toys so that none of the animals get bored with what’s out and accessible. For when I need to focus on a Zoom or when the pets need to be home a little longer than usual, I’ll pull one of these out of my coat closet so it seems fresh and new. Then, I’ll pack it up and put it away once I’m back and able to engage. That way, I make our toys last longer!
What are your favorite enrichment toys? Please share in the comments!
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