Nobody likes doing the same thing day in, day out. The same goes for pets!

Just like you, your pet needs stimulation — a variety of activities and environments — to keep them happy and healthy. Enrichment toys can reduce boredom, improve sleep habits, increase mood, and improve behavior.

Here are some fun enrichment toys for your dogs, cats, and small pets that will keep them busy all summer long!

Check out this salad bowl snuffle mat for dogs by Injoya. These mats are excellent for engaging your dog’s foraging instincts by mimicking a scent-based hunt. Hide treats among the leaves and adjust the size of the bowl to increase or decrease difficulty. These mats make meals fun, reduce overeating, and can keep your dog busy for ages.

Photo courtesy: Little Chief & Co.

Activate your cat’s hunting instinct with this flying feather cat toy from Go Cat!

Whisk this stick-and-string feather toy around and it’ll make your cat go wild, whether you drag it on the floor or flick it in the air. Your cat will love the flapping sound the feathers make, and love the texture even more. For indoor cats especially, this will help reduce anxiety, build confidence, and get out pent up energy.

The feathers are super durable too, so they can handle some intense hunting and chewing!

Photo courtesy: Go Cat

If your dog is a fast eater, this wobble bowl is the perfect solution. A combination slow feeder and treat puzzle, this bowl will slow your dog’s eating while putting their brain to work! It holds up to a cup of kibble, so you can use it not just for treats but for full meals.

Not only will your dog smell the kibble in the bowl, but they’ll see it through the clear lid too! The added visual encourages them to work for their reward — it’s just a wobble or two away!

Photo courtesy: Nina Ottoson

Small pets may be just that — small! — but they need enrichment too.

This customizable maze for rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and other small animals encourages exploration, safe chewing, hiding, and playing. The unpredictable and winding maze mimics the places they’d find in the wild, and you can add treats throughout it to encourage foraging and gathering.

Photo courtesy: Oxbow

Does your dog prefer wet treats to crunchy ones? There’s an enrichment toy for them too! This honeycomb-shaped licking mat lets you fill each individual hole with a wet treat (like canned dog food or peanut butter), which your dog gets to lick out one-by-one. Rather than having your dog figure out a puzzle, this toy soothes and calms them by providing crevices for them to lick for hours.

Photo courtesy: SodaPup

Keeping your pets stimulated and busy is important for their health and happiness.

Toys like these can improve pet behavior and distract them from environmental changes that may cause anxiety during the summer — such as warm weather, the sound of fireworks on Canada Day, plane travel, car rides, or even just having company visiting from away.

For more summer enrichment toy recommendations, visit Global Pet Foods in Charlottetown or Summerside. Their Pet Care Specialists are always happy to share their recommendations for what toys customers find the best and which ones will suit your pet.

You can also order all of these toys on Global Pet Foods’ website and have your order delivered right to your door. (Home delivery offered island-wide!)

Happy playing!

– Keenan & Arlo