If you’ve checked out our wish list you may have noticed some odd items next to dog treats, catnip, Kongs, blankets, and tennis balls. Things like: pipe cleaners, parchment paper, corks, paper towel rolls – we probably sound a little odd asking for things things, but these items go toward our enrichment program.
Our animals spend most of the day in their kennels, despite the best efforts of our volunteers and staff and sometimes they get a bit bored. This can lead to acting-out behaviors like mouthiness and scratching, and even health problems like obesity. It’s our constant mission to keep our animals stimulated and active and that’s where enrichment comes in; small activities or items that stimulate our animals sense of smell, sight, or sound. Even the smallest change in environment from time to time can have a lasting impact on their mental happiness.
Those pipe cleaners? Our kittens go nuts for those on Saturdays. They’re soft texture and springiness keeps them entertained for hours – or at least until they’ve lost them all. That peanut butter and pumpkin? We stuff it in the rubber Kongs and freeze them overnight to give our pups something tasty to eat. The sticky texture combined with being frozen means they have to work extra hard and long to lick up every little piece (and yes, it is as messy as it sounds). We fold up catnip in parchment paper and stuff it in toilet paper rolls for the cats to bat around. And our Pitties love getting meals out of the donated Kong Wobblers! They’re a treat dispensing toy that spills out pieces of kibble as they get knocked around, great for active breeds like Pitties and Hounds!
And we don’t just keep our enrichment program here at AHS – you can do all of these activities at home with your own pets! Give them something new to do while your away at work for the day. They’ll thank you for it and it decreases the chance they’ll get into something they’re not supposed to. So go and take a look at our wish list and give our animals some extra play time!
