Exercise and Your Pet
No matter the size, breed or age of your four-legged family member, regular exercise is crucial to keeping them happy and healthy! Whether you have a hamster, Himalayan cat or a hound, there are a variety of tools available to encourage your fur baby to be active.
Dogs
Walks: One of the most obvious ways to exercise your dog, regular walks are very important in maintaining your canine companion’s overall health. From collars to leashes and harnesses, there are a wide range of walking devices available to keep your dog under control as you walk. As you’ll want to ensure that your walks are as enjoyable as possible for both you and your pooch, make sure you select the proper equipment, so your dog remains comfortable while walking.
Going on the occasional hike is a great way to keep your dog’s exercise routine interesting. Be extra careful during the fall and winter months though, as hiking trails can become slick and slippery as the weather gets colder and snow begins to fall! If you happen to have a treadmill at home, consider training your dog to walk on it for those rainy or bitterly cold days!
Toys: When it comes to keeping your dog moving, interactive toys can be a huge help! Featuring multiple distance and angle settings, the PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher is a great tool to keep your fur baby entertained and active. The launcher features an automatic rest mode to ensure your dog does not get burnt out, as well as safety sensors so your dog and anyone else who is around remains safe.
Playing tug of war with your pup is a fun way to help them get exercise and build muscle, but make sure you select a durable tug toy that can stand up to your dog! Made with durable, reinforced nylon, the KONG Tubba Wubba is a fun, interactive tug and toss toy for your dog featuring a twisted rope design. With tails on both ends, the toy is easy to pick up, throw or play tug of war with! The reinforced fabric and stitching allow your dog to satisfy their natural instincts as they chew and pull at the toy, while the twisted rope design helps to simultaneously clean their teeth!
Cats
Trees and Scratchers: Cat trees and scratchers are not only great tools for keeping your feline friend active, but they also provide a great outlet to satisfy their natural instincts! If you’re considering purchasing a scratcher for your cat, it’s important to first observe their behavior to ensure you select the most appropriate one. By watching where, when and how your cat prefers to scratch at home, you’ll be able to pick out a scratching post that will allow them to fully satisfy their need to scratch. From inclined and curved scratchers to cat trees and condos and more, there's something to please your cat no matter their scratching style!
Cat trees with multiple levels can provide your feline friend with plenty of fun and exercise as they play and climb their way to the top. Featuring moveable panels and kubes, the modular design of the modern Katt3 cat tree allows you to easily switch things up to maintain your cat’s interest! No tools required, the Kubes can be configured in a variety of ways that provide more than one access point to the top of the tree and with endless customizations available, the Katt3 is suitable for kittens, adults and seniors and can be easily adapted to suit any cat’s needs.
Toys: Keeping your cat focused on the hunt, the TailSpin & Chase encourages independent play to keep your cat happy and active! Featuring four spin settings and tails that randomly appear throughout six separate holes, this interactive toy can satisfy your cat’s instinct to hunt and chase!
Cat wands are great toys to promote healthy exercise for your furry friend. Not only does the KONG Fishing Pole Teaser keep your cat moving, but it can also fulfill their natural instinct to chase, hunt and capture! Featuring an adjustable pole, this toy can be used for games of variable challenge and the ball can be replaced with other KONG cat toys to keep things exciting!
Interactive Feeders: Designed for kibble of any size, the Doc & Phoebe’s Indoor Hunting Feeder can allow your cat to have fun while ensuring they don’t overeat. Rather than placing their food in a regular bowl, this feeder features three Doc & Phoebe Mice which act as a bowl replacement. Each morning and night, simply fill the three feeders with your cat's kibble, hide them throughout your home and wait for your companion to hunt them down!
Walks: Some pet parents may be a bit apprehensive to take their cat for a walk as it’s not something you see every day, but this is a great way to exercise your cat and let them explore. As some cats will try to wiggle their way out of a harness, make sure your cat is comfortable wearing its harness and leash before embarking on your walk. Also, some cats may seem interested in going on a walk at first but may change their minds once they’re outside. If your cat starts to display signs that they’re uncomfortable at any point, simply cut your walk short and head home.
Small Animals
Without a proper outlet to exercise and burn some calories, it can unfortunately be quite easy for our small fur babies to pack on the pounds! As it can be difficult for our pets to get the exercise they need in a cage without any additional tools, consider purchasing an exercise wheel to help them maintain a healthy weight. Safe for tails and toes, the Ware Tread Wheel is made of a chew-proof, powder coated metal to provide your furry friend with endless fun!
