Your pet fills your life with joy, unconditional love, and entertaining moments. In turn, your responsibility is to ensure that your four-legged friend’s world is equally full: enriched, stimulating, and enjoyable. As a pet owner, you are likely familiar with the term enrichment, which pet toy marketers bandy about as a way to sell expensive toys. However, enrichment is about enhancing your pet’s quality of life by appealing to their natural instincts and behaviors. You can promote your pet’s overall wellbeing and mental health, spark their curiosity, and provide them with the necessary mental and physical challenges that are crucial for their development without breaking the bank. To learn how to create a lively and engaging world for your pet, read our Creature Comforts Veterinary Service team’s guide to making simple do-it-yourself (DIY) enrichment toys.

Why pets need enrichment

Enrichment is a necessity, playing a vital role in your pet’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Enrichment involves enhancing your furry pal’s quality of life by modifying their environment to increase their physical activity and fulfill their natural instincts. Cats, for instance, are natural predators and like to stalk and pounce on prey, while dogs enjoy using their noses to sniff out their food. Enrichment toys cater to these natural instincts, and help reduce pets’ common behavioral problems that may arise if these needs are not met. You can buy your pet’s toys, or you can try a different, more cost-effective, but equally entertaining way to keep your pet satisfied and out of trouble. Find out how to make our Creature Comforts Veterinary Service team’s easy DIY enrichment toys for your cat or dog. 

Do-it-yourself enrichment toys for dogs

Enrichment is about enhancing your pet’s quality of life by appealing to their natural instincts and behaviors. Help your dog stay mentally stimulated and physically active by making these DIY toys:

  • Treat-filled tennis ball — This simple toy can keep your dog entertained for hours. Cut a slit in a tennis ball, fill it with treats, and you’re all done! Your dog will enjoy the challenge of trying to retrieve the treats and feel surprised and satisfied when they succeed in reaching them. 
  • Braided tug toy — If your dog enjoys a good game of tug-of-war, a braided tug toy is ideal. Cut an old T-shirt, towel, or fabric piece into strips and braid the strips together. Tie knots at each end, and voila! Your dog has a new tug toy that doubles as a chew toy.
  • Bottle spinner — This DIY toy not only challenges your dog’s mind but also makes snack time fun. Take a plastic bottle and a rod or stick that fits through it. Cut holes in the bottle, insert some kibble, and secure the bottle to the rod so that it can spin freely. Your dog will have to do some serious problem-solving to spin the bottle and release the kibble inside. 
  • Interactive fetch toy — Many dogs love to play fetch, and a DIY fetch toy is an easy way to make the game more exciting. Place a tennis ball inside an old sock. Tie a knot, and you have a fun new fetch toy. The sock’s length allows you to swing the toy farther, extending your dog’s running distance.

Do-it-yourself enrichment toys for cats

Cats also benefit from enrichment. They are natural hunters and climbers, and enrichment toys can help satisfy these instincts. Help your cat stay mentally stimulated and physically active by making these DIY toys:

  • Cardboard toilet paper tube ball — Cats love to bat around lightweight objects, and all you need for this DIY toy is a cardboard toilet paper tube, a pair of scissors, and pet-safe glue. Cut the cardboard toilet paper tube roll into rings, fit the rings inside one another, creating a ball, and glue the rings together. Your cat will have a great time batting around this lightweight ball.
  • Interactive feeder — Make mealtime more challenging and fun by creating a DIY interactive feeder for your cat. Cut holes in a small plastic container with a lid. The holes should be big enough for your cat’s paw to fit into. Fill the container with their favorite kibble and close the lid. Your cat will enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to retrieve the treats.
  • String toy — Tap into your cat’s predator instincts by attaching a string to a stick or rod and tying a feather or a small toy at the string’s other end. This toy will engage your cat’s natural hunting and pouncing instincts, providing hours of entertainment.
  • Cardboard box playground — Cats love to explore, and a cardboard box can serve as an excellent playground. You can cut holes in the box to make it more interesting. If you have multiple boxes, you can stack them and create a multi-level playhouse.

Pet enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive. You simply need to understand your pet’s natural instincts and find ways to cater to them. With a bit of creativity, you can put together fantastic DIY toys using items that you already have around your home. Always supervise your pet’s playtime to ensure their safety while they’re playing with a toy. In addition to your pet’s mental health, invest in their physical health by scheduling your furry pal’s annual wellness exam with our Creature Comforts Veterinary Service team.