Your pampered pet may have all the necessities they could want for a comfortable life—yummy food, clean water, warm shelter, comfy beds, etc.—but that doesn’t mean that your pet doesn’t still have the drive and instinct to be a self-sufficient hunter and forager.
In fact, many pets get bored and can even act out if their mind is not sufficiently stimulated and their body exercised. Just think, in the wild, your pet’s ancestors spent hours tracking, hunting and problem-solving to get food. Now your pet just has to wait for you to dole out food before they can passively gobble it up without much effort.
That’s why mealtime is the perfect opportunity to engage those latent instincts and get that noggin active!
Interactive toys are designed to do just that. As their name implies, these remarkable feeders require action—not to mention brain power and dexterity—for your pet to get fed.
These feeders come in many shapes and sizes, as well as varying degrees of difficulty. Some are simple rubber toys with a hole or pocket for food; others are more complex and require moving or pushing pegs or compartments to get food. Some are even programmable, requiring your pet to paw touch pads with different colored lights. Interactive toys specific for cats may also have tunnels or holes to hide kibble, perfect for nimble kitty paws.
Along with being fun and engaging, these interactive toys can help reduce the likelihood of obesity, prevent your pet from eating too fast, and even potentially slow down cognitive decline that can be seen in senior pets.
Your veterinarian can give you recommendations for the best interactive toy for your pet.