5 Fun Exercise Tips To Keep Your Pet Healthy This Summer
Ensuring your pet receives regular exercise and activity is super important to maintaining a healthy and happy pet. We compiled some great ideas for both of you to have some fun and get your sweat on this summer.
Movement and exercise help cats and dogs produce those feel-good hormones that support a strong immune system. Just like us, our pets need this regular exercise, maybe even more so considering the amount of energy they possess. It's important to fit in exercise sessions and playtime each day for your pet. We manage to fit our own workout routines into our busy agendas, so we shouldn't slack on our pets health gains either! Discover some helpful tips for how to ensure your dog or cat stays healthy through the right exposure to play and exercise.
Ideas For Dogs
Your pup may love their daily walk, but remember dogs can get bored of the same old route or routine. Spice up your exercise sessions and make them more fun with these challenging, expert-recommended ideas.
Walk This Way!
Walking, running, and jogging are pretty much go-to's when it comes to exercising dogs. Consistent aerobic and cardiac activity strengthens their muscles and their heart which helps lead to longer lifespans. We recommend going 30 minutes a day of aerobic activity, depending on the age and breed of your pet.
Weather-Proof Activities
Don't let a rainy day keep you and your pet from getting your exercise. Research your local pet-friendly stores like The Home Depot, PetSmart, or The Pet Supermarket. Getting out with your pet does them a lot of good and introduces them to exciting new smells, environments, and challenges.
At home, play intelligence games to keep their mind active too. Playing a game where they have to sniff out their treats, or training them to stay while you hide the treats is good for both training and keeping active.
Consider Doggy Gyms, Clubs, or Parks
There are numerous fitness clubs and dog-sitting groups for canines across the country. This is a good way to house your pet during times that you're away but also serves as a way to log exercise, play, and socialization time for your pet too. Of course, make sure that the facility is run by knowledgeable staff who are using reward-based training methods.
Ideas For Cats
Food is one of the ultimate motivators for cats, but so are games and activities that encourage exploration and curiosity. We have a few that you and your feline can try out!
Utilize Their Hunting Instincts
Bringing out your cat's natural instincts to stalk, pounce, and the hunt is a bright to way motivate them to exercise. Using toys like 'feather dancers' and toys that require movement to interact are some of the best lures for this. We suggest trying to play for 3 to 5 minutes three times a day to get them the best exercise daily.
Make Feeding Fitness-Oriented
Rather than putting your cat's food at their level each day, we suggest putting one meal in a low location, and one in a high location, on a shelf for instance. They'll be able to sniff out their food and it will be more fun for them to search for it.
Enrich Their Environments
Look around your house from your cat’s perspective and think about how to make it more interactive. Try a cat perch or cat tree (try or a vertical scratching post that they stand to use. Cats love exploring small spaces. Got an empty box? Put it out and move it every few days to give your cat someplace new to jump in and out of.
As a part of your family, your pets deserve a ton of care and concern when it comes to their health and wellbeing. Make sure you're taking all the steps to keep them as happy as can be through play and exercise.
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