Animals Unfolded

Enrichment for indoor cats is the focus of a lot of talk these days, which is something I'm glad to see. With the push to keep cats indoors, it's keeping them healthier and safer, but in all honesty, many cats are bored to death.  Cats are hunters. In the wild, they hunt, eat, groom, sleep, repeat—24 hours a day. They don't suffer boredom the way that indoor cats do.  In a piece from earlier this year, I highlighted just one of the ways that veterinary professionals are trying to combat that. But there's so much more that we can do. I often recommend using catnip as a form of enrichment in cats, especially those who are indoors-only, but it's also useful in other ways.  Before taking cats to the vet, medicating them or administering sub-q fluids , I give them a little to set a positive tone, and coupled with Feliway it's especially effective. I also use it as an enhancement to boost a waning appetite in older cats, especially those struggling w...

Toys and play are a big part of life with pets, and I'm sure that my household is no different than yours — assorted pet toys, especially dog toys strewn about the house. When mine was a two-dog household, before my Labrador passed last year, it was clear that he and my now 15-year-old St. Bernard/shepherd mix, Gretchen, had different play styles. Fast forward to now, and things haven't changed much. Gretchen has more toys than ever, and it's not for her being spoiled: with her arthritis ever-advancing, mobility that is changing and a mind that is impeccably sharp, it's important to me that she have the opportunity to use her mental skills and retain as much of her physical ability as possible. She still loves her food puzzles, chew toys and though the occasional tennis ball isn't high on her list, it's hard to ignore the sparkle in her eyes when she was first presented with a "fresh" one. Yes, even in her twilight Gretchen continues to be an ardent ne...