Bored Pets and What To Do
In our eyes, dogs and cats are usually quite lazy, they love to eat, sleep, play a little and rest, and this cycle is repeated every day. However, many times they are like this because they lack distractors, ie, things that keep them entertained. it’s not that they don’t like the activity, but they don’t find what to do and they get bored. They get bored, and therefore they sleep, what else can they do?
So I took on the task of investigating some recommendations to stimulate the playful and hyperactive spirit that almost all pets (dogs and cats) carry inside:
Start with a little exercise:
If your dog is eating the chair, a little exercise can burn off that excess energy. The amount of exercise is variable and depends on the rhythm of life, but a walk of 20 minutes every day would help and from there it can be progressively increased. It’s not about getting exhausted, but about exhausting a bit of excess energy.
Increase the family:
Not all pets want company, but sometimes a friend can help share the moments of solitude and transform them into playtime. This will help minimize their destructive behaviour through boredom. Note: you have to select this new friend properly, to avoid rivalry problems and worsen the situation
Turn on the TV:
The TV can be a real entertainment for some solitary quadrupeds. Tune into a channel that you think they might like, test it and see if that helps. Logically it won’t be left on for 8 hours, but with the function of sleeping, you can leave your TV assigned for an hour or two.
Put a video or movie on:
There are already some sites specialized for pets, films specifically designed for them. They entertain a lot with having the pets watch birds, cats, colours, etc … If you don’t have a specific video, maybe a video with nature themes can be useful.
Rock is good against boredom:
Music, in general, can be excellent against boredom, both for humans and pets. There are even dogs with artistic skills that howl to accompany the singer. It can also help them relax or play according to the genre they choose.
Call home:
There are those who call home from work and leave a message for their pet. They can hear your voice if you have this type of device. Avoid calling and bothering them or waking them up, but doing it occasionally can help keep them alert.
Look at birds:
Depending on the type of house, if the cat can’t leave, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put a bird feeder so that the dog and/or cat can see and entertain themselves.
Observe fish. The same can be done with an aquarium or fish tank.
Although a bored pet usually means problems, sometimes leisure time can lead to amazing creativity. “Under the right circumstances, it’s amazing what a pet can do,” says Miran Millán, a veterinary medicine doctor in New Hampshire. She reminds us of the case of an enterprising Siamese cat who, in his spare time, took the gold chains from his owner’s jewelry box and lined them up on his dining room table; or the playful feline who pulled the dirty socks out of the basket to make paths in the corridor, and then tried to put them together in pairs.
Of course, not all pets are so inspiring. There is a proud owner who says that although his dog is not Einstein, he takes a bone, throws it into the air and watches it fall. As they say, a genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.
Creativity has no limit, but definitely, pets must have enough activity to keep themselves from being bored.