What’s enrichment, and why is it so important?

When we think about caring for our Floofins, we consider their physical needs: which food is the best choice for them, which vet is the best match, and how to keep them active. We also have to consider their behavioral needs, like selecting a trainer and making sure they have toys. But how much thought do we put into meeting our pets’ basic needs versus keeping them enriched?

Items and experiences that help bring out natural behaviors in animals are called enrichment, and enrichment is one of the most important things to think about when caring for your Floofins. Enrichment can affect everything from how your pet eats and socializes to how it sleeps. Enrichment keeps your pet from becoming bored and displaying negative behaviors, such as nipping, barking, destroying, or confining themselves to one area, and it keeps them healthy, too.

We’ll go into different species in more detail in future blogs, but here are a few examples of enrichment for your different Floofins.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Stress

We tend to view stress as a negative thing, but keep in mind that there’s a difference between healthy and unhealthy stress. Healthy stress might look like temporary frustration as a dog learns how to work a new puzzle toy – even though it’s stressful, it’s also motivating them to learn, and results in a payoff. Unhealthy stress, such as being unable to solve the puzzle toy despite repeated attempts, can lead to negative behaviors, such as pacing, nipping, or vocalizing.

If you notice any enrichment item is causing your pet unhealthy stress, eliminate that item. The goal of enrichment is to enhance your pet’s life, not upset them. For example, one of our Floofins staff put in a new sunning platform for her turtle, and even allowing for a period of adjustment, the turtle refused to sun and avoided the platform altogether. Once the original platform was reinstalled, the turtle returned to sunning.  So while your pet might simply need time to understand the new enrichment, you also need to make sure that you’re not creating unhealthy stress.

Toys

Toys are the most recognizable form of enrichment, as they really bring out different behaviors like hunting and socialization. Make sure that you’re providing the proper toys for your Floofin based on their species and breed. For instance, a retriever will play ball all day long, but a bulldog may prefer a chew toy. Cats love to “hunt,” so providing them with a variety of different items like springs, toy mice, and fishing pole toys will trigger their hunting instinct. Rodents like to run and explore, so an enclosed wheel and a habitat with a series of tunnels will keep them occupied. Of course, make sure that you supervise pets who have a tendency towards destruction! 

Eating

Many animals love the routine of getting fed at the same time every day, but that can lead to some behavioral problems, such as excessive barking or meowing if their food isn’t ready when they think it should be. A dish of food meets an animal’s basic needs, but it’s boring to be fed at the same exact time. Working for food keeps your pet’s brain sharp and mimics their natural hunting/foraging behavior, so keep things interesting by providing food or treats in a different way.  Dogs often enjoy a puzzle toy, and small mammals love searching for food distributed throughout their habitat. Chickens go crazy for fresh fruit and veggies on poles or in baskets. Reptiles enjoy hunting live crickets and mealworms. A rabbit can roll a ball around as it distributes food. Even just hiding kibble around the room will keep your cat or dog active and interested. 

Sleeping

Providing multiple spaces for rest give your Floofin the opportunity to make choices, something so important for their mental health. Think about how your pet’s ancestors would live in the wild. Dogs and cats like having access to different beds. Burrowing animals can often receive different types of substrate into which they can dig (research what’s best for your species!) Rodents benefit from a selection of bags or hammocks, shredded paper, or nest boxes. Birds enjoy perches in various locations and heights.

Hiding Spots

Small animals of all kinds have a natural instinct to hide from predators, so providing them with various hiding spots is a great form of enrichment. Keep one main sleeping area and switch out other hiding places every so often so that they have new places to explore. This can be as simple as a facial tissue box (with the plastic removed) or more fancy like a covered hammock or nest box. You can get creative depending on what species your pet is. We knew a pair of sugar gliders whose favorite hiding spot was a jar of mini wiffle balls!

Age

Obviously, young animals have different needs than older animals, and that extends to enrichment. Puppies may require enrichment that redirects negative behaviors like chewing on furniture, while geriatric dogs may benefit from enrichment that keeps them active.

Considering Enrichment

Think about the things that keep your life enriched – you eat different food each day, so while you don’t want to do a major diet change for a dog, you can change up the method of feeding or even vary their treats. Your child doesn’t play with the same toy every day, so rotate out your cat’s toys so that they have access to a different set of toys each week. Living in the same room all day long would be boring, so change the location of your reptile’s hot rock or your gerbil’s sleeping quarters every once in a while. And again, if this causes unhealthy stress, change it back. 

No matter what type of Floofin you have, there’s a lot you can do to provide enrichment. We’ll go into more detail for different types of animals in the coming months, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, contact us and we can give you some tips and resources!