Cats and dogs require physical and mental stimulation to maintain their physical and mental health. Boredom and inactivity can lead to all sorts of behavioural issues with your pets.

Puppies and kittens need to play! Play helps to develop coordination and encourages socialization with other family pets and, of course, with you.

Physical Health

• Studies have shown that pets that have adequate play time every day live a longer and healthier life.
• Exercise stimulates and conditions the heart and lungs.
• Activity lubricates the joints and tones the muscles that support the joints.
• Play helps to burn calories and helps to maintain a lean body.
• Cats are known to be easy keepers, so many believe they do not need as much attention as dogs do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cats get the same benefits from playing as dogs do.

Playtime & Mental Heath

• Both dogs and cats can get bored if they have nothing to do, and that can lead to frustration and in some cases serious behavioural issues.
• Play is a wonderful stress reliever for pets.
• Encouraging a cat to use its hunting prowess during playtimes is fun and rewarding.
• Puzzles and simple mental challenges can be great fun (shop our options!). Just tugging on a rope is great fun and a mental challenge for a dog. Cats love the mental and physical challenge of grabbing that object you are swinging through the air.

Bonding During Training

• Training should be a fun and exciting time for you and your pet. Making it part of playtime can stimulate the pet’s mind and body.
• Training is important to prevent bad habits from becoming a problem.
• Basic commands such as fetch, come, sit, and so forth can easily be added into several types of play, which will reinforce what you want your dog to learn and obey.
• For some dogs, learning advanced skills such as obstacle course running becomes a type of playtime as well.
• Playtime and training with your pet can make the pet more social and helps to mold their personality.