Keeping our pets at home during this period of lockdown is a challenge, but there are things that we can do to make sure our cats or dogs are keeping as happy and healthy as possible. We chatted to Dr Cooper, our Absolute Pets vet, and asked for her advice.

The main challenges for our pets in lockdown

As we are not allowed to take our dogs out for a walk during lockdown, the main challenge is how to exercise your pet and keep them stimulated. Stripped of their daily walk or regular runs in the park, your pet will spend a lot of time lazing around the house or apartment and may get frustrated. Another challenge, which may not have been as obvious, is the outcome of this and the effect this sedentary behaviour has on the digestive systems of our cats and dogs.

In this article we cover tips to help maintain a healthy digestion and monitor their weight, as well as ideas for mental and physical stimulation, whether you are stuck indoors in an apartment or have the luxury of a garden space.

Tips for a healthy digestive system

When we don’t move around or exercise, our digestive tract slows down significantly. This is the same for pets, especially dogs, as cats generally know how to use their litter box. 

Here are a few quick tips that may help:

• Your dog needs a comfortable place ‘to go’. If you live in an apartment, the ideal situation is to have a piece of grass or AstroTurf that may feel a little more ‘normal’ for your pet. Alternatively, even newspaper may help so that you have a dedicated area that they associate with going to the toilet. We appreciate that in times of lockdown this may be easier said than done.
• Be as calm and as patient as possible. If you’re not able to leave the house or apartment, you’ll need to do all you can to let your pet know that he/she doesn’t have to stick to your traditional toilet training routine.
• Don’t worry if your pet isn’t eating as much as they usually do. If they are not able to exercise as normal (which is the case for the vast majority of pets at this time), then they simply don't need as many calories. If this is the case, it is wise to cut down their food a little so that they don’t put on too much weight.
• If your pet is struggling to get that digestive system moving, you might need to add more fibre to their diet. Consider adding a little butternut or gem squash, and consult with your vet. They might recommend a diet that is richer in fibre and more suitable (remember that our full pet food range is available on Absolute Pets, online and in store).
• Think of exercise more as ‘getting your pet to move’. This is where games and toys come in...

Tips to keep your pets busy

• If you have a garden, then of course, use it as much as you can! Get creative, set up an obstacle or agility course! Play a lot of fetch and elaborate games of hide and seek.
• If your garden is small or you live in an apartment, think more about keeping your pets busy with mental stimulation rather than ‘exercise’. This just helps focus the mind on what is possible (if running a few kilometres and long games of fetch are not!).
• For most pets (cats and dogs included), just 15 minutes of mental stimulation is a lot. This could be teaching your pets new tricks and playing games. Using their brain like this will tire them out if they are not used to it. They have short attention spans so short periods of quality time with you will hold them in good stead. See our ideas for brain games below.

8 Interactive & stimulating games for pets

1. Use their food to stimulate play 

Rather than putting their food out each day, use their food as an opportunity to encourage play and mental stimulation. You can hide their food around the house or garden so that they have to find it (show them at first what you are doing and encourage them to search and smell it out!). Once they get the hang of it, you’ve got a great game to play each mealtime.

2. Play hide and seek

Cats and dogs love a game of hide and seek. Keep some treats with you for extra motivation! And develop the game further by making it more of a treat hunt (without you having to hide behind the curtains). You’ll need to train your pet to wait while you hide everything and listen to your command as to when they can start the hunt. It may take them a while to get used to this game but their sense of smell will develop.

3. Make use of the toys you have (or create your own)

As we aren’t allowed to buy toys at this time, you might need to get creative! If you do have any treat-stuffing toys like a Kong, this would be a good time to use it! You can also freeze it (with the treats inside) so that it lasts longer; and play with different fillings that may take your pet longer to retrieve (e.g. peanut butter).

There are other ‘treat’ toys that you can make at home. For example, a two litre bottle can be filled with your pet’s dried food (instead of giving it to them in a bowl). Make a few extra holes in the bottle and let them get the hang of it, bashing it around until the pellets fall out.

For cats, cut toilet rolls down to approximately 3cm so that they can just stick their paw inside. Glue the toilet rolls to the bottom of a box and pop your cat’s dry food inside. Your cat may then spend quite a lot of time working out how to retrieve their food.

4. Teach them new tricks

15 minutes spent teaching your cat or dog new tricks every day is worth it. It will tire them out and it’s a great way to bond with your pet. 

5. Guess which hand 

Hide a treat in one of your hands and let them work out which one it is in. 

6. The magic cup or bucket game 

Take three or four plastic cups or small buckets (whatever you can find) and show your pet that you are hiding a treat under one of the cups. Move them around as if you were a magician and let them work out which cup holds the prize.

7. Increase their vocabulary 

Remember that your cat or dog can learn so much more than you might even realise. Use this time to teach basic ‘sit, drop’ commands but also more tricks like fetching named items from around the house. They really can learn so many commands and words given time and practice.

8. Make tidying up a game 

Create a game whereby your pet has to collect balls or toys from around the house and put them in a basket. They might just love it.

Let YouTube come to the rescue

YouTube is full of useful training and tricks videos for pets. Whether it’s agility training in your garden or tricks you can teach a dog in a confined space, spend a little time watching videos (by respected animal behaviourists) and create a ‘to-do’ list for lockdown.

Routine and quality time

Remember that as difficult as it is for us to be in lockdown, it can also be very disorientating for your pet. Try to stick to some sort of routine (pets love boundaries and knowing what is expected of them) so if you usually work at a certain time and are working from home now, try keep it that way. Keep a few times during the day that are exclusively ‘play time’ or ‘training time’ and keep meal times the same.

Above all remember that this is also a good opportunity for quality time and bonding with your pet. Give them plenty of praise, especially if you are teaching them new tricks, and this will build up their confidence.

Speak to your vet

If you are in any way concerned about your pet, speak to your vet. You may not be able to visit your vet (unless it is an emergency) but he or she can advise on any concerns you may have.

Get in touch

A huge thank you to Dr Cooper for sharing her expertise with us and helping us put together this article.

And remember, we are also here to help so visit your local Absolute Pets store or get in touch with us online, or on Facebook.