Under the current lockdown, most of us are now spending much more time at home. Not only is this a strange new adjustment for us, it’s also a big change for our pets. The best way to avoid unnecessary stress is to keep your pets active and entertained – but how do we do that under lockdown? We’ve put together a list of our favourite games to play with our pets at home, as well as some handy essentials to make sure you’re always prepared.

Games to Play with Your Pets

 

Games to play with your dog

• Hunt the treat – place a few healthy treats around the home for your dog to hunt out. This encourages your dog to use his senses and rewards him with a tasty treat at the end. Be careful not to hide too many, especially if your dog is having less exercise than usual.
• Fetch – if you’re lucky enough to have a large garden, playing fetch or football is a simple way to keep your dog entertained and active. Different sized breeds tend to have a preference for a tennis ball or a football, so it’s worth experimenting with both. Remember – don’t throw sticks for your dog to fetch. Sticks often splinter, which can cause your dog harm!
• Training games – one way to keep your dog mentally active is to spend some time teaching commands. Dogs love to please their owners, so training is great for keeping dogs happy and mentally stimulated.
• Tug of war – most dogs love to play tug of war; not only is it fun for them to interact with you, but it’s also great exercise. Use a thick, knotted rope that’s sized for their breed.

Games to play with your cat

Chase the torch – cats love to chase the beam of light from the end of a torch. Simply shine the light on the floor of a darkened room and move the light around for your cat to chase.
Chase the feather – just like the torch game, cats also love to chase feathers, toy mice, or shuttlecocks tied to the end of a string.

Ball games – not just for dogs, did you know that cats also love ball games? Bounce a small ball against a wall in your home and watch your cat try to catch it. Just be careful to move anything fragile well out of the way!

Stay at Home Essentials

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Toys for dogs
Toys for cats
Food for dogs
Food for cats
Dog health essentials
Cat health essentials