Baby, it’s cold outside!
At this time of year, rain, icy strong winds, not to mention knee-deep snow, can make it very difficult to get outside and ensure your dog gets enough daily exercise.
Instead of taking your dog for his usual long walks, break the walks into shorter time increments and schedule them as best you can throughout the day.
However, you will most likely have to resort to indoor activities to keep your pets mentally active and physically engaged. Investing in a doggie treadmill will, of course, solve the problem. They are also great for elderly pet parents who struggle to take their dogs out during winter.
Treadmills are available in two sizes to cater for all breeds and weights. You can control the speed to ensure your dog is comfortable with this form of exercise.
If you are lucky enough to have a pet-friendly indoor mall in your neighborhood, this can be a really great place to walk your dog and window shop at the same time. Turn it into a social occasion by teaming up with friends with dogs. Then you can pick up coffees and sit in a general seating area to enjoy some time together.
Also consider signing your dog up for doggie day care at an indoor facility. This way, he will meet lots of doggie friends and have fun chasing around playing games under watchful supervision.
There is a huge selection of puzzle toys for dogs. Behaviorists say that a challenging puzzle is the equivalent of both the mental and physical stimulation of 45 minutes or regular exercise.
If your home has a large playroom or passageway where you can safely play ball games, your dog will quickly adapt to these play session substitutes for regular outdoor activities.
Outdoor cats that are brought indoors during the very cold weather will quickly adapt to games that cats with a permanent indoor lifestyle enjoy such as games with wand toys or lasers.
Wands with bugs and fluffy feathers on the end hone in on a cat’s pounce and prey hunting skills and offer both mental and physical stimulation. A tall cat tree will also give your cat exercise if you play with her on the tree, hiding catnip toys for her to find. You can even engage in wand games here and let her play from a higher perch.
The best way to exercise elderly cats is to carry them to the furthest point in the house from their food bowl and let them take a leisurely stroll over for “breakfast.”
And remember there are great puzzle toys for cats too that offer exercise and fun.