What do mirrors, bells, spices, and people have in common? They're all methods you can use to enrich the daily lives of your pets. Birds love to stare at themselves in mirrors, cats enjoy pawing at bells, and dogs have a hankering for scents.
The people part is the most important because pets need interaction with their owners.
Indeed, most house pets are social animals and crave the stimulation that comes with hanging out with people and other animals.
Although we work hard here at Brookfield Zoo to ensure that the animals' days are full of fun toys and experiences, enrichment isn't about just zoo animals. It's vital that you make sure your pets are invigorated on a regular basis.
It helps to remember your pets' basic nature. For example, dogs and cats are carnivores, or meat eaters, and like to work to get their food. Freeze some food in ice so they can figure out how to get the food out. Hide treats around the house as a nice surprise for them. Or put some treats in a paper bag or cardboard tube.
If you have amphibians, reptiles, or birds, give them different substrates to enjoy and various "furniture" to climb on and grip. Reptiles and amphibians need sources outside their bodies to heat and cool themselves, so offer them a heat lamp or some shade.
The real key is to not use all of your methods at once. Use a couple for a while, then switch to new methods so there's always something new and surprising in your pet's life.
Make a family contest out of it. Vote on who has the most creative method for enrichment...and then implement all ideas!
Follow-up ultrasound shows procedure successful
Beta Gorilla Passes Another Test
Follow-up ultrasound on Beta Gorilla shows first-ever documented uterine fibroid embolization on a nonhuman primate helps shrink tumor.
continue
reading story...