By Philippine Pet Institute
One of the many responsibilities pet owners must take is to keep their pets safe and happy. However, as the country is undergoing a long quarantine period, pet owners are faced with limitations that may prevent them from keeping their pets active through outdoors exercise. Luckily, with a little bit of creativity and resources to work with, pet parents can come up with fun and exciting activities to get their furry loved ones moving without leaving the four corners of their home.
The Pet Food institute, together with its member brands, shares activities pet owners can do with their furry companions this upcoming month.
Tug of War
Look for fabric scraps and tie them together in knots and you got yourself a prop for tug of war. This game is a collaborative activity that owners can enjoy with their pets. Not only does this help their four-legged companions get their daily exercise but it also has several other health benefits that vary from dental hygiene to confidence building.
Pet owners must remember that for some pets, especially certain breeds of dogs, tug of war may encourage them to become dominant and aggressive towards other animals and even their owners. In order to enjoy a game of tug of war, owners must be in control of the game and their pet to avoid unwanted accidents like being bitten.
Teach Old Pets, New Tricks
If you have no items to spare, why not teach your pets a few tricks? Many would say that teaching tricks can be a long-winded endeavor; but the benefits it provides can contribute favorably to the pet’s wellbeing. However simple or advanced it may be, trick training can improve a pet’s mental and physical health. It stimulates the pet’s reflexes and promotes better concentration, and most importantly, establish a better connection with the pet owner. Trick training is also a great tool to for pet owners to give their pets positive reinforcement which will help them cope with anxiety and raise their self-esteem.
Owners can find useful tips from reliable pet trainers online on proper trick training, and apply their learnings to their furry loved ones that both of them can enjoy. It will take a lot of patience for pets to learn so owners must remember to start at a slower pace to avoid their pets from getting stressed out which may result to aggression or abandonment.
Basic and Interactive Toys
Toys and other play things are very useful items to keep pets occupied. Regular bone and chew toys are good starters, but when your dog needs more entertainment, interactive toys, such as puzzles and ball launchers, may do the trick. Interactive toys can be in various forms and offer multitudes of features that can stimulate your pet’s mental activity while keeping them physically active.
Puzzle toys, for instance, helps pets think and use their heightened sense of smell to figure how to solve a puzzle. Interactive food bowls are also popular for its features that help slow down the pet’s food intake. These interactive food bowls are usually designed with ridges to control food portions, preventing pets from experiencing bloating which may lead to more serious health issues like obesity.
Meanwhile, cat owners can do the classic laser chase game to keep their beloved felines engaged. Laser chase is a highly-physical activity, yet it brings out the cat’s silly antics and cuteness. But cat owners must always be cautious not to point the laser directly onto their cat’s eyes. Doing so may damage their cat’s eyes and lead to blindness. If they wish to play laser chase with their cats, owners can use lasers like pet cube which are not harmful to cats.
Apart from these fun games and activities, pet owners must keep in mind that the best way to keep their pets healthy while staying indoors is by providing them a well-balanced diet. Commercially-available pet food had been made to ensure that pets receive their nutritional requirement that will enable them to grow strong and happy.
Pet Food Institute (PFI) is committed in educating pet owners about proper pet nutrition to keep pets healthy and happy. Through its local initiative, Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured campaign in partnership with the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP), PFI seeks to advocate responsible pet ownership to the ever-growing Filipino pet community.
About the Pet Food Institute : Since 1958, the Pet Food Institute has been the voice of the U.S. pet food industry. PFI is the industry's representative before Congress and state legislatures, as well as state and federal agencies; public education and media relations resource; organizer of seminars and educational programs; and liaison with other organizations. PFI represents the companies that make 98 percent of U.S. dog and cat food, an industry with more than $20 billion in U.S. retail sales and $1.3 billion in exports in 2015.
For inquiries, contact Jinny Dolendo/ Andrea Alido
Strategic Edge, Inc.
jjacaria@seinc.com.ph/ group3@seinc.com.ph
892-0247 or 50
