An Idle Mind is the Devil's Workshop

George Borrow has been quoted saying "It has been said that idleness is the parent of mischief, which is very true; but mischief itself is merely an attempt to escape from the dreary vacuum of idleness".  When Mr. Borrow made this comment, I am sure he was talking about humans, however, we can apply this same observation to our four legged friends.  Our pets can sometimes get into trouble with us just by being themselves, doing things that are normal behaviors in their world (scratching on the furniture or digging in the trash), but we find them unacceptable.  In these cases, providing a great scratching post and teaching 'leave it' verbal commands can often solve the problem for you and your pet.  However, not all unwanted behaviors are that easily solved.  Anxiety related behaviors can be complicated and frustrating to deal with.  Some behavioral problems are genetically hardwired, some arise from boredom and stress.

How can you tell your pet is experiencing stress in their lives?  While there is no hard and fast rule or signs, the following can sometimes be an expression of stress.  Cats:  Scratching on household items, obsessive licking and/or hair chewing, aggression toward people and other pets, inappropriate urination and/or defecation and night time vocalization.  Dogs:  Destructive behaviors, obsessive licking/chewing on self, aggression towards people or other pets, unexplained lapse in house training and separation anxiety.

How can you enrich your pet's environment in order to alleviate stress and/or boredom?

Cats:  1) Create specific spots on shelves and windowsills for you cat to perch.  Cats like high places.  Commercial cat towers can be found at many pet stores.  I have one for my cat that is six foot tall, very sturdy, multi-level with posts that are designed for scratching.  My cat is usually at the very top!  These areas should be sturdy and give the cat the opportunity to climb, perch, rest and hide.  2) Provide opportunities for your cat to forage (hunt) for it's food (cats are predators) by using feeder toys, multiple bowls throughout the home and hiding treats in different areas.  Be aware of overfeeding however, measure your cat's food so that they are not overfed.  Put the food up high, if you have a dog in the home! 3) Stimulate it's smeller by using catnip (in toys or as a catnip garden) and pheromone diffusors such as Feliway  4)  Play with your cat.  Cats prefer toys that are light and can be picked up and easily moved.

Dogs: 1) Exercise-the amount and type is determined by breed, age and physical condition, from leash walks to physical rehabilitation.  Your dog needs a job!  Consider it's breed type and try to fit his exercise with the type of work he was bred to do.  Take a walk with your dog!!  Move his body!  Have a treadmill?, teach your dog to walk on it.  Herding dog?, clicker train your dog to herd balls into a laundry basket.  Use your imagination. 2)  Mental exercise is important too.  Teach your dog new behavioral skills.  Hone his basic obedience skills.  Try out clicker training to help your dog learn a new language in learning new skills.  Dogs are very social and human interaction consisting of daily routines, such as feeding and simple games can become boring.  Expand your interaction with your dog; obedience/agility classes, games and a good game of fetch may be the ticket.  Food puzzles and games are always a hit for that food motivated chow hound.  Again, be sure not to over feed your dog, measure it's food, or better yet feed his entire daily meal out of your hand as you work towards teaching him a new skill.  3) Increase socialization by organizing 'doggie' play dates with friends.  4) Toys that provide a mental challenge or treat puzzles keep him busy while you are otherwise occupied.

A helpful hint--think like a cat/dog, keep in mind their natural instinctual behaviors and provide an enivronment/opportunity for him to show off his natural abilities.  Ask yourself, why do I have a pet?, then implement strategies that allow you and  your pet to share time together doing things you both enjoy.

Port and I hope that we may see you and your dog some Sunday morning at Gunn Park, while we enjoy our Pack walk and trail exploration.

Link to more helpful ideas:

http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/fun_for_cats/index.html
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/
http://www.indoorpet.osu.edu
http://www.americantreibballassociation.org
http://www.texasvetbehavior.com/Canine_Enrichment.pdf