It goes without saying
that we’re living through unprecedented times. During the time of year when you
would normally be outside enjoying the first signs of spring, you find yourself
spending your days inside. But being inside doesn’t mean that you and your pet
have to forgo all activities – it just means that you have to get creative and
find activities that can be done inside your house.
Get creative with things you have around the house
You don’t need to go and buy a whole bunch of new toys for your pets to fill the hours you’re spending inside – you can get creative with items you already have around the house. Have some balls? Have a muffin tray? Put some treats in the tray and cover the openings with balls so your pet will have to figure out where the treats are and how to get to them. For dogs that enjoy crinkly toys, put a disposable water bottle in an old sock and securely tie up the end. Your dog will go crazy over the noises it makes as they play with it. There are countless DIY pet toy tutorials online, so you can find one for the type of you your pet likes most.
Make use of your precious toilet paper rolls
We know that toilet
paper is a hot commodity these days, so don’t let any of it go to waste –
including the empty roll! Even if you only have a single empty roll of toilet
paper, you can transform it into something fun for your pet to play with. For
example, you can fold down the openings to create a treat puzzle, you can cut
them into several small rings you can roll around for your pet to chase, or
combine the small rings to create a ball you can toss. If you have a few empty
ones, glue or tape them into a pyramid and place treats inside the different
tubes for your pet to fish out – cats, in particular, are big fans of this one.
Enjoy some screen time
You don’t want to spend all of your time inside in front of a screen, but a little bit of screen time can provide some much-needed entertainment. If you have a cat, there are many apps you can download for your phone or tablet that allow your cat to “hunt” for something on the screen. There are also YouTube videos designed specifically for your pets entertainment – from wildlife and nature walks to dog parks and dog beaches.
Learn some fun new tricks
Your dog may have their basic commands down pat, but what about the less basic ones? Why not use this inside time to teach them tricks that are as fun for them to learn as they are for you to watch. There are endless resources online with step-by-step instructions on how to teach your dog all different types of tricks. Just make sure that you have their favorite Freshpet treat or recipe on hand for a little bit of extra motivation during the learning process. And don’t think that teaching tricks is just limited to dogs – cats can learn many of the same commands dogs are, including sit, down, and shake.
Spend some time in the kitchen
Whether you have a few minutes or a few hours to spare, you and your pet can get creative in the kitchen. If you only have a few minutes, try your hand at planning your pup’s meals for the next week. With Freshpet’s Homestyle Creations, you can mix-and-match 100% natural, nutritious recipes that will keep your dog excited for mealtime. Our pure chicken or beef patties can be served alone as a complete meal, or you can stir in a few scoops from one of our Healthy Mixers.
Listen to a podcast
While you do any of these activities, it’s nice to have something on in the background such as a podcast. There are so many great podcasts out there, but pet lovers, in particular, might enjoy the podcast Pet Parents, Oversharing. This is admittedly probably more for you than your pet, but you could use some fun while you’re inside as well, right? In the podcast, hosts Kaity Reagle and Andrea Shapiro dive into the completely ridiculous, gross and magical cult you join the moment you become a pet parent.
If we have to be inside,
we might as well spend our time enjoying some fun activities with our pets. We
hope that these six ideas give you some inspiration for how you and your pet
can make the most of your time indoors.
