I’m Soooo Bored

A Big Yawn

There was a time when I never left the pet store without another fun or cute pet toy in my shopping bag. Fun or cute to me that is. The latest wooly wiggle worm would be offered to my dogs with a flourish and they would all look at me with that “Yeah, what?” look on their faces, then walk away to do something exciting like chew the table leg or annoy the cat. And as for cats, the irresistible interactive (and expensive) mouse toy that was going to help me bond with my feline friends while helping them develop muscle tone, agility and stamina was met with complete disdain followed by utter indifference.

The point being here, that it’s not necessary to spend a fortune on commercial toys in order to keep your pet entertained. However, it is very necessary to provide distractions for your pet, especially if they spend long periods of time confined or alone. Boredom can lead to all sorts of problems like food obsessions and obsessive grooming, destructive behaviour or soiling in the home.

Exercise is essential for all pets. For dogs, that means you need to get out of the house. And it’s not enough to walk your hound round the block on a lead. Find a dog park or a large open area where your pet can run, preferably with other dogs. Throw balls, play tug of war, just get moving. And that goes for small dogs, too. Your cute little chihuahua is not meant to be just part of the interior decor or a fashion accessory.

Indoor cats need room to run as well and they love to climb. Commercial gyms are hugely expensive, so why not try creating your own? Here’s what one person did. Plain wall shelves are great, too. This site sells shelves for this very purpose but you can do the same with shelving from Home Depot for half the price. Just make sure you secure the shelves well. And be sure to give your friend a room with a view. You only need to push the right size piece of furniture under the window for kitty to be able to enjoy the vista.

Caged critters must also have room to get around. Ferrets can be leash trained, as can some iguanas. Snakes and other reptiles can benefit from swimming, so why not fill the bathtub for them once in a while (just don’t flush your baby python down the drain!). For rodents, why not let them run over you while you’re reading or watching television?

As for toys, I get old tennis balls from tennis-playing friends who would otherwise throw them away. By cutting a small hole in the ball I can add a little peanut butter or some treats and the dogs will be entertained for ages. A 10″ piece of old garden hose works the same way. Or throw down a few ice cubes; lots of puppies and dogs love to play with them. Old tube socks can be used for tug-of-war and my canines’ most favorite toy is a stick from the back yard. Cheap entertainment can also be had by blowing bubbles for dogs to catch and, after dark, create a light show with a flashlight or two.

Cats (and ferrets) love cardoard boxes and paper bags. Get creative with the boxes by cutting holes in them and putting them together or on top of each other. PVC piping can make great tunnels, if you can find a big enough diameter. Cardboard tubes will work just fine for small animals.

There are endless no-cost or low-cost toys you can provide for your feline – a wad of paper, a wad of paper on a string tied to a door knob, a soda bottle cap, a ping pong ball in the bath tub. I buy bags of 1-inch tinsel pom poms from the craft store, “marinate” them in catnip and the cats go wild for them. Another big hit is an old sock filled with catnip. By the way, you can buy catnip in bulk and save a lot of money.

There are other simple things you can do to stimulate your pet like moving the food bowl across the kitchen, leave the TV or radio on, play a tape of animal sounds, open a curtain that’s normally closed. And rotate your pet’s toys rather than leaving them all out all the time. That way the toys will seem new again. After all, even if your cat loves a certain catnip mouse, after he’s “killed” it a 100 times he’ll likely be bored with it.

Of course, one of the absolute best ways to alleviate the doldrums is for your pet to have a playmate (or two). So perhaps it might be time to consider adopting a buddy. You can take a look right now on petfinder.com to see who’s looking for a home in your area.