German shepherd puppy Mitzi lies on the floor, chewing a green toy

Indoor games for pets

Dogs:

Playing with your dog a few times throughout the day can stop them from making up their own games, keeping their minds distracted from other possible destructive habits.

Puppy with treats

Find it! How to play with treats:

  • Show your dog that you have a piece of food/treat in your hand
  • Say ‘find it!’ and then throw the treat across the floor
  • When your dog finds the treat say a clear ‘yes!’ so they know they’ve followed through on the action that you wanted

You can also play this game with toys if your dog is more toy orientated.

Find out more about indoor games for dogs.

Cats:

The key is not to play rough and tumble games with your cat as this can encourage your cat to grab and bite you. You can make your cat’s meal times more entertaining by using a food ball to provide mental stimulation.

If you’re feeling experimental, why not train your cat to do tricks using a clicker? This is good fun for both of you and keeps your cat’s mind active. Be sure to keep the training light-hearted - never force them to do anything.

Cats love to climb and a tiered scratching post is ideal for this purpose. This type of design helps cats to feel safe as it provides hiding places and a high shelf from which to watch the world go by.

Small pets:

When the weather starts to bite, you may think about moving your smallies inside to keep them warmer. There are lots of fun things you can do to enrich their living space during the colder spells.

Encouraging your small pet’s natural behaviour by providing safe things for them to chew such as apple wood or willow is a wonderful way of enriching their living space.

You can set up a cardboard box with an entrance and an exit that they can hop in and out of. Fill the box with shredded paper. Try hanging some root vegetables on a string for them to nibble.

Horses games and enrichment in stables and indoor arenas:

Ponies and horses love being outdoors where they are at liberty to display their natural traits and satisfy their curious minds. However, if your horse has to be stabled or placed in a restricted outdoor area for health reasons or particularly bad weather there are plenty of things you can do to keep them entertained.

Horses love play balls that they can kick around and pick up with their mouths to throw. This gives them an outlet for excess energy if they are in a playful mood.

Giving your horse fruit and vegetables is a great way of enriching their environment; it can keep them entertained for longer, especially if they are in stables.

Scratching mats provide horses with the means to be able to safely reach that itch that they just can’t themselves. This reduces stress levels in an indoor environment and prevents damage to property at the same time!

— Page last updated 13/12/2022