What is Enrichment?
Enrichment creates an opportunity for pets to use their mind and body in a fun, new or exciting way. These activities engage their senses and reduce stress, redirect extra energy, relieve boredom and add to their overall quality of life. Providing an environment that is varied allows your animals to think and explore in their own home, which benefits both their mental and physical health.
There are so many activities you can do at home with your pets. Here are a few ideas from our Enrichment team to get you started.
Dog Enrichment
Creative Ways to Keep Your Pup Stimulated and Happy
Enrichment creates an environment that is varied and stimulating for your pet. Try these fun and engaging activities that will allow your dog to explore their own home in a new and exciting way!
Dogs love to sniff! Spending a few minutes searching for treats on a fringed mat can stimulate your dog’s mind and help them relax.
The sniffing mat can be a rag rug, fleece or t-shirts strips tied together, a groovy shag carpet square, or any fringed mat in which treats can be hidden. Scatter the treats throughout the mat and let your dog search.
Try the following smelly treats in the mat:
- Kibble
- Food treat roll pieces (Natural Balance, Red Barn, Happy Howies)
- Grated Cheddar cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Dried liver treats
- Nutritional yeast
- Cheerios
Make a Sniffing Mat from a T-shirt:
- Cut straight across from underarm to underarm on t-shirt, separating the collar and sleeves from the body of the shirt. Cut the t-shirt front and back apart to make two rectangles/squares. One rectangular piece will be the mat.
- On the “mat’, cut 1”slits in multiple rows. The closer together the slits, the fuller the mat will be.
- With the all the remaining piece of t-shirt, cut or tear 5-6” strips.
- Tie the strips into the slits making fringe.
Dogs are great at detecting smells! They can find lost people, locate land mines, diagnose cancer, admire your new perfume and find suspicious luggage content. Those superior sniffing noses should have some fun!
Scent games allow a dog to use his instinctive skills. Using his nose makes your dog think and requires him to concentrate. Scent games are fun for a dog but do not over stimulate him. A few minutes of a calming scent game can help a dog relax. Each game only takes a few minutes. Try a game while you are on a walk with your dog.
- Seek and Find: Randomly toss treats or kibble into grass, snow, leaves, a room or on to a blanket on the dog’s bed and let the dog sniff and search. The challenge is greater when the treats are not easily visible requiring him to use his nose.
- Scent Trail: Lay out a trail of tiny treats, Hansel and Gretel style. This game may be played inside or outside and in any size space. Some treats may be placed on a bench, around a tree, up on a branch, on the bumper of your car, around the perimeter of a room or under a couch cushion. Use your imagination. A jackpot (a small pile of treats) should be placed at the end of the trail.
- Twisted Towel Treat Puzzle: Place treats on a towel, roll the towel up, and twist. Let the dog work the towel open to find the food. Too easy for your dog? Place the treats in a Kong and then roll up the Kong in the towel.
- Interactive puzzle toys and KONGs: Puzzle toys provide challenge and enrichment for your dog. Provide a different toy every couple of days.
A simple puzzle feeder can be made from a cardboard paper towel tube. Cut random holes in the tube, add some treats to the tube, and press in the ends to close. Covering the tube with paper and twisting the paper ends adds extra challenge.
Dogs enjoy tearing up cereal boxes and cardboard egg cartons to find hidden treats. This activity allows the pet to use his mind and nose. Tearing the cardboard does not encourage destruction! If a dog has a variety of appropriate activities to channel his energy, he will not destroy the sofa!
Drop treats or stuffed toys into a large cardboard box filled with empty water bottles. The dog must search in the box to recover the treats/toys. Because the bottles move and make noise, the game can help build confidence.
For a fearful dog, try crumbled newspaper in the box instead of bottles. Leave some treats/toys visible on the top of the newspapers to encourage the dog to search.
Everyone loves bubbles! Bubbles can provide something interesting and new to look at for your cats and dogs. Moving bubbles will stimulate the animals’ minds and the adventurous pet will pop them! If you feel like splurging, check out “PetQwerks Doggy Incredibubbles” at Amazon. These bubbles land without popping, easily wipe up, and are edible!
Scent games are mentally tiring for dogs and stimulate their brain in a way that physical exercise does not.
- Rub the inside of a clay pot marked “Treat” with smelly treat (Natural Balance or Red Barn food rolls treats, peanut butter or hot dog). (Large yogurt containers work also).
- Place a treat on the floor and cover it with the “Treat” pot. Ask the dog to “find it.”
- When the dog touches or nudges the “Treat” pot, say “good,” and lift the pot to let him have the treat.
- Repeat this simple steps 2-3 times until it appears that the dog knows there is a treat under the pot.
- Now, hide the treat and hold the pot down to keep him from tipping it over. Lift the pot when he touches it with his paw and let him take the treat reward. Practice this, rewarding for soft paw touches. Sessions should not last more than 10-15 minutes.
- Once the dog is tapping the “treat” pot with a soft paw, part two of the game can be introduced.
- Add two more pots. Tap each pot to direct the dog’s attention to each. When interest is shown in the “treat” pot say “good” and let him take the treat.
- If multiple pots cause him to lose interest, show the treat quickly and cover the treat up again.
- Always hold the pots to keep the dog from knocking them over.
- Shift the pots around for added interest and to challenge him with slight of hand. No betting is allowed!
- End on a positive note.
“While many dogs get sufficient walks, exercise and even some training, they do not get enough stimulation of their innate senses and abilities. A lot of the training we do with our dogs includes speed, excitement, precision, and control, but very few activities require calmness and concentration.” -Anne Lill Kvam
A puzzle activity can provide enrichment by stimulating your dog’s mind.
Supplies:
- Muffin tin or cardboard beverage carrier
- Tennis balls
- Treats
Place a few visible treats in the muffin cups and let your dog find them. When he is easily getting the treats out of the cups, cover a couple treats with a tennis ball to increase the challenge. Place treats or kibble in muffin tin cups. Top them with a tennis ball to cover the treat and provide extra challenge. A cardboard beverage carrier with a tennis ball in the cup holes also works! Muffin tin games can be found in the 1st Adoption meet and greet room.
Anything new and interesting in the surroundings is beneficial to a dog. An assortment of objects to discover can give the dog an opportunity to think, explore, use his senses, stimulate the brain, and provide fun.
The Wading Pool Enrichment Activity features different discoveries each day. A child’s wading pool can be filled with different items to explore each day, with or without water, and placed where the dogs can discover it while on a walk or in the yard.
- Herbs: Dogs are great at detecting smells! The nose is the #1 sense for dogs touching the most important part of their brain. Allow the dog to sniff the herbs in the pool. The plants are all safe if the dog should choose to munch on some. The herbs may include basil, parsley, rosemary, mint, oregano, sage, and thyme.
- Ball Pit: Balls are irresistible. Toss some treats in the pool and let the dog search through the balls to discover the treats.
- Ice Bar: The coolest thing to do in the Burgh is to check out the sensory excitement of the ice.
- Toy Land: A pool full of stuffies – take a minute and let the dog tear one apart!
- Duck Pond: Rubber ducks floating in the water are a favorite of children and now, dogs!
- Splash Pond: Just the basics! Add water bottles for a bottle pool party.
- Leaves: Scents of the outdoors and crunchy under the paws. Toss in treats to be found.
Supplies:
- Socks
Directions:
- Arrange socks in a starburst.
- Attach as many “tentacles” as you would like!
- Use the sock on the bottom of the starburst to tie up the “tentacles”
- Hide treats among the “tentacles.”
Plastic cereal bowl and juice cups can provide a puzzle challenge for your dog. Place a treat in one or more bowls and let your dog search by using his nose. The game can be as challenging as your dog likes and it is easy to vary the game. Stacking bowls, cups in the bowls, upside down bowls, bowls on the cups, and refilling bowls already searched can all create a new twist for the activity. Mental stimulation and variety can help direct a pet’s energy and stimulate the mind.
Cat Enrichment
Fun Ways to Stimulate Your Feline’s Mind and Body
Enrichment creates an environment that is varied and stimulating for your pet. Try these fun and engaging activities that will allow your cat to explore their own home in a new and exciting way!
Our pets’ sense of smell is far superior to our own. Sniffing is a natural behavior and opportunities to sniff are enriching and stimulate the mind. The sniffing mat activity promotes calm and relaxation while fulfilling an instinctual behavior.
Cats have been known to enjoy batting a couple ping-pong balls around in a bathtub or tissue box. A whole box of balls can provide the next level of enrichment fun!
Drop a treat, toy or some catnip into the box. Your cat must search in the box to recover the treats or toys. Because the balls move and make noise, the game can help build confidence. Let your cat investigate at his own pace or just play!
Everyone loves bubbles! Bubbles can provide something interesting and new to look at for your cats and dogs. Moving bubbles will stimulate the animals’ minds and the adventurous pet will pop them! If you feel like splurging, check out “PetQwerks Doggy Incredibubbles” at Amazon. These bubbles land without popping, easily wipe up, and are edible!
Supplies:
- Tissue paper
- Pipe cleaners
Directions:
- Cut pipe cleaners into thirds.
- Cut layers of tissue paper into rectangles (about 2″ x 3″).
- Gather the tissue paper in the center of the rectangle and bend the pipe cleaner around the tissue. Twist the ends into antennae to secure.
- Always supervise your pet with a new toy to ensure that they can play safely.
- The tissue butterflies are easily tossed and make a crinkling sound to stimulate the play.
It could be said that one man’s trash is another man’s cat activity center. Throw-away items can be made into entertaining play stations or activity centers for cats. The activity center can include scratchers, empty candy trays, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners, clean medicine cups, ribbon spools or egg cartons. The only limit is your imagination!
Choose a shallow box as your base and add the activity items. Once the items have been securely glued in place, add pinches of catnip, jingle balls, toy mice or treats. Place on the floor and let your cat explore on his own. The textures, smells and sounds will get your cat thinking! Once the cat has lost interest, refill with the goodies and move it to another location. Your cat will think they have made a brand new discovery!
Cats can do tricks just like dogs! This trick may take several sessions but the learning process is what is valuable to the animal. Try this activity after other play so that the mat will be a place of relaxation.
- Place the mat (towel, bandana, whatever you choose) on the floor and be very interested in it. Let your cat see where you placed the mat. Place a treat on the mat. He may take the treat and leave – that’s OK!
- Place more treats on the mat repeatedly to get your cat to return to the mat. Your cat should just be making a connection between treats and the mat.
- To end the session, toss a treat away from the mat and put the mat away. Practice this over several sessions.
- When you feel your cat is ready to move on, place the mat on the floor. When he approaches the mat upon sight, stop placing treats. Only place the treat when the cat touches the mat. Your cat will now learn that the treats appear when the mat is touched.
- Every time your cat touches the mat, mark the behavior and place the treat on the mat. Let him do this successfully four or five times. Stop the activity while the treats are still interesting. Repeat this portion of the activity in several different sessions.
- Once your cat is settling on the mat, treat and praise him in a way that he finds enjoyable with petting. Your cat should be relaxed on the mat.
- You should end the session before your cat gets up from the mat. Toss a treat and pick up the mat when he goes to retrieve the treat.
Scent, texture, and play enrichment may be found with a catnip tea ice cube. Make a catnip tea by placing fresh catnip leaves in a tea ball or strainer. Pour boiling water over catnip and let steep for 10 minutes. Ensure the tea is completely cool before trying to freeze it. Pour into smaller ice cube trays and freeze. Pop out a frozen cube for unusual catnip fun!
A modest change in the environment can prevent cats from becoming at risk for behavioral problems and decrease stress. A different object or toy each day can stimulate the cat’s mind and senses. Physical play with the object is not necessary; the goal is to provide a chance to think and learn with the introduction of a novel object in the animal’s environment.
A disposable object can be a fun toy and something to investigate. Throw away the item when play is over and introduce something new each day.
- Pipe cleaners shaped into corkscrew twists or pretzels
- Shower curtain rings
- Plastic bottle caps
- An uncooked penne pasta tube
- Milk jug rings
- Toilet paper tubes – fringed edges are fun!
- Origami paper balls or lucky stars
- Drinking straws
- Wine cork
- Wooden thread spool
- Half of a plastic Easter egg with wet food spread inside
- Plastic Easter egg with a pinch of catnip
- Tea bag envelope pinched open for unique scent
- Catnip sock
Always supervise your pet so you know he can play safely with a new object.
Bring a little of the outdoors inside for enrichment. Cat grass is easy to grow and can be made in little disposable containers.
- Wash small plastic containers thoroughly. Small yogurt cups, applesauce cups, or dip snack containers work very well.
- Soak the cat grass seeds for 8 hours or overnight.
- Fill the containers with potting soil.
- Plant the seeds in the soil and water well.
- Place in a warm dark location and keep the soil damp, not soggy.
- When the grass sprouts, place the containers in a sunny window. When the grass reaches an inch or two, give it to your cat to enjoy.
The enrichment grass will introduce something new to investigate and provide the opportunity to graze for cats who choose to indulge!
Play opportunities help a cat relieve stress, stimulate the mind and engage his hunting instinct. The simplest way to provide enrichment for your cat is to institute the following “House Rule.” Never pass a cat a toy that is lying on the floor. Instead, pick the toy up and hide it – behind a door, on a step, up on a chair, peaking out from under a blanket or from under the cat bed. Hide it anywhere!
This activity only takes a second and freshens the toys for your cat. The cat can discover the toy behind a door and enjoy the hunt while he is home alone.
Scent games are mentally tiring for animals and stimulate their brain in a way that physical exercise does not. In addition, the game requires the pet to think and problem solve.
- Place a treat on the floor (or a dab of canned food) and cover it with the “Treat” cup (small yogurt cup). Ask the cat to “find it.”
- When the cat touches or nudges the “Treat” cup, say “good,” and lift the cup to let him have the treat.
- Repeat this simple step 2-3 times until it appears that the cat knows there is a treat under the cup.
- Now, hide the treat and hold the cup down to keep him from tipping it over. Lift the cup when he touches it with his paw and let him take the treat reward. Practice this, rewarding for soft paw touches. Sessions should not last more than 10 minutes.
- Once the cat is tapping the “treat” cup with a soft paw, part two of the game can be introduced.
- Add two more cups. Tap each cup to direct the cat’s attention to each. When interest is shown in the “treat” cup say “good” and let him take the treat.
- If multiple cups cause him to lose interest, show the treat quickly and cover the treat up again.
- Always hold the cups to keep the cat from knocking them over.
- Shift the cups around for added interest and to challenge him with slight of hand. No betting is allowed!
- End on a positive note.
A puzzle activity can provide enrichment by stimulating your cat’s mind.
Supplies:
- Mini muffin tin
- Ping pong ball or practice golf balls
- Treats
Place a few visible treats in the muffin cups and let your cat find them. When he is easily getting the treats out of the cups, cover a couple treats with a ping pong ball to increase the challenge.
Cut out two squares from your fabric of choice with pinking shears for that authentic Italian pasta look! Stitch a 1/4-inch seam allowance and leave an end open for stuffing. 6-8 tight stitches on each side are all that is needed. Pinking the edges and stitching without turning it inside out make sewing the toy quick.
Fill end with fiberfill and a pinch of catnip. Stitch closed and give to your favorite cat!
A feather is very tempting to a cat. The rolled feather toy moves, is textured and appeals to the hunter.
Supplies:
- Corrugated paper
- Feathers
- Tape
- Non-toxic school glue
Directions:
- Cut a 4″ x 4″ square of corrugated paper.
- Tightly roll up the paper and secure with tape.
- Glue a feather in each end or multiple feathers in one end of the roll.
Hide the toy so that a feather is peaking out waiting for the cat to discover it!
Dogs aren’t the only ones who can use their nose to search for a treat!
Place treats, kibble, or catnip on a bandanna and roll it up. Let the cat see the process and work the towel open to find the treats. Too easy? Place the treats in the little Kong (or empty toilet paper tube) and then roll up the Kong in the towel. Is your cat ready for the ultimate challenge? Hide the towel for your cat to discover during the day.
Rabbit Enrichment
Fun Ideas to Keep Your Rabbit Happy and Engaged
Enrichment creates an environment that is varied and stimulating for your pet. Try these fun and engaging activities that will allow your rabbit to explore their own home in a new and exciting way!
Our pets’ sense of smell is far superior to our own. Sniffing is a natural behavior and opportunities to sniff are enriching and stimulate the mind. The sniffing mat activity promotes calm and relaxation while fulfilling an instinctual behavior.
Toss. Tear. Nibble.The rolled toy moves, is textured, and provides a challenge to reach the treat.
Supplies:
- Corrugated paper
- Raffia
- Herbs such as cilantro or dill
Directions:
- Cut a 2” by 6” piece of corrugated paper.
- Tightly roll up the herbs or hay in the paper and secure with the raffia.
Supplies:
- White tissue paper
- Raffia
Directions:
- Layer 6 sheets of tissue paper. Cut strips 3 1/2″ wide and 12″ long.
- Take one set of 6 strips of tissue paper. Stack and fold them accordion-style and crease each fold.’
- Wrap raffia securely around the center. Spread out the tissue paper on either side of the raffia.
- Separate the layers, pulling gently towards the center. Start in the center and alternate left and right. Work slowly and methodically separating the sheets of tissue.
Created by the Animal Friends Rabbit Volunteers!
Supplies:
- Rabbit safe wooden button
- Raffia
- Corrugated Cardboard
Directions:
- Cut 3 rectangles from corrugated cardboard, approximately 3”x2”
- With a hole punch, on the long side of each rectangle make 2 holes near center
- Thread raffia through holes. Attach wooden button and tie bows.
Introducing a fresh homemade toy each day keeps your rabbit’s playtime and space mentally stimulating. Remove the item from the previous day to keep the items interesting and rotate the toys regularly.
Homemade:
- Puzzle Tube: Cut out small holes in paper towel tube. Fill with hay and a couple treats. Press in ends of tube to seal.
- Wheat Grass Containers: Grow wheat grass in a small plastic container (lunch pack applesauce or dressing cups work very well).
- Spoon Tosser: Bend an old spoon into a triangle.
- Newspaper sandbox: Fill a shallow cardboard box with lots of shredded newspaper for digging and tossing.
- Egg Carton Puzzle: Cut a cardboard egg carton in half. Fill with hay and a couple treats. Close securely.
- Cardboard Ball: Cut paper towel tube into rings. Insert one ring into another to make an X. Continue to add rings to create a round ball. Add hay to the center.
- Origami: Make an paper ball or box. Easy Origami instructions can be found online
- Oatmeal canister
Toys:
- Baby blocks
- Stacking rings
- Slinky Rattles
- Puzzle feeder egg
- Baby car keys
- Weebles
- Wooden rabbit puzzles
- Bandana for tossing and bunching
Always supervise your pet so you know he can play safely with a new object.
This toy which can be made with items found at the hardware or on the workbench. The rattle can be tossed or rolled! Instructions make 1 rattle.
Supplies:
- 3 washers (¼” by 1¼” each)
- 1 hex bolt (2½”).
- 1 lock nut (¼”).
Directions:
- Thread the 3 washers on the bolt.
- Secure the end with a lock nut.
A rabbit in the wild must hunt for his food. This little game will encourage a rabbit to exercise while searching, sniff to follow the trail, and think to find the treat. Stimulating the olfactory sense stimulates the brain.
- Show the rabbit the treat then hide it: in your hand, under your leg, behind a toy. Let them sniff out the treat.
- Make a trail of fresh greens across the room, hiding some of the pieces. You may use a Romaine lettuce leaf, parsley leaves, or a few pinches of the dry organic botanicals in the container.
- If the bunny makes quick work of the trail, you can take one leaf and slowly drag it along the floor to leave behind its smell.Hide the treat at the end of the line and see if the rabbit will use its nose to follow the treat. Too easy? Hide the treat in a paper lunch bag.
This little bundle of hay shaped like a carrot provides a whimsical toy for rabbits to chew and toss.
Supplies:
- Raffia
- Hay
Directions:
- Gather a bundle of hay into a log about 6” long. About 1/3 of the way down the hay log, begin to wrap the raffia. Leave a loose tail of raffia which will be used to tie off the raffia when finished.
- Continue to wrap the hay with the raffia, tying additional lengths of raffia as needed.
- Gradually pull the raffia tighter and to create a carrot shape. Cut excess hay to shape of carrot if too bulky at bottom.
- Continuing to wrap the hay, work the way back to the top and tie ends of raffia together to secure.
- Trim “leafy” carrot top.
Crunchy and easy to toss, pine cones provide an opportunity for the rabbits to direct their chewing energy. Choose pine cones from a source that has not been treated with chemicals. The rabbits at Animal Friends receive pine cones from the trees around our campus.
Fill a sink with warm water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Gently scrub the pine cones with a soft bristle brush or your hands to remove dirt and debris. Let the pine cones soak for 20-30 minutes to remove any additional dirt. Rinse thoroughly in fresh cold water 2-3 times. Let dry on a towel. The pine cones will be closed up tightly.
Pine cones can air dry on a towel for several days. Pine cones may also be baked in the oven. Place them on parchment paper and bake at 215 degrees until dry and open. Watch them carefully so they do not burn! Cool thoroughly.
Supplies:
- Craft paper
- Raffia
- Hay or treat
Directions:
- Cut thin strips of paper about 8” long and ¼” wide. Arrange the strips like the spokes of a wheel.
- Place hay and/or a small treat in the center and bundle the strips around the treat to form tassel.
- Secure with a small strip of raffia.
Free form shape craft paper or newspaper into a tunnel. Roll edges of tunnel to secure. Even easier, cut the bottom out of a paper bag!
Detailed instructions for a sturdier tunnel can be found here.
Remember paper bag pumpkins from preschool? A brown lunch bag filled with hay provides an enriching way to provide a rabbit with some of his daily portion of hay.
- Simply fill the lunch bag with hay. A treat or a few pellets can be added.
- Twist the top of the bag into a pumpkin stem.
- Wrap raffia around the stem. Wrap the loose end of the raffia in as you wrap. Leave loose ends as leafy tendrils!
- A Jack-O-Lantern smiling face is optional!
Feed pellets to your rabbit pierogi style so they can show their enthusiasm for this favorite Pittsburgh comfort food. Feeding meals in unique ways provides enrichment to your pet’s day stimulating his mind, and therefore improving quality of life.
Supplies:
- Craft paper or the paper liner from the timothy pellet bag (liner will be scented)
- Pellets
- Herbs such as cilantro or dill can be added when giving an extra treat.
Directions:
- Cut a 6″circle from the paper. Fold the circle in half.
- Place pellets, hay, or a treat along the fold. Roll the edges of the paper to seal and form a pierogi.
Supplies
- Rabbit safe wooden shapes with holes drilled through center
- Sisal Rope
Directions:
• Attach wooden shape to sisal rope creating a knot on either side of the drilled hole. This will be a “foot” on the end of the octopus “tentacle.”
• Thread sisal through wooden shape which will be the octopus body.
• Attach a second wooden shape on the end of the sisal and knot on each side of the “foot.”
• Attach as many “tentacles” as you would like!
This wreath can be hung from the rabbit’s enclosure or used as a toss toy. Decoration of the wreath is only limited by your imagination.
Supplies:
- 5” willow chew ring
- ¼” sisal rope
- Wooden pine star soaked in beet juice and dried, hole drilled in center
- Wooden pine ball with pre-drilled hole
- Raffia
- 2” Binder ring
Directions:
- Reserving a long length of sisal rope, wrap the rope around the wreath.
- Pull the short end of sisal rope down to the center of the wreath. Attach the star. Tie a knot to secure the star.
- Take the long length of sisal rope and thread on the wooden ball.
- Split the sisal strands above the wooden ball and tie a bow, securing the wreath on the binder ring.
- Add additional bows with raffia to provide interesting texture for the rabbit