Living Their Best Lives
There was a time when zoos housed wild animals in cages and or other small enclosures for the public to view. Fortunately times have changed for the better and anyone who has visited a modern zoo will see that enclosures have been replaced with habitats that are modeled from actual environments where the particular species lived in the wild. Other things, however, that you would not necessarily see are the training and encouraging of species specific behaviors so that these animals are not just surviving, but thriving.
Tossing food for the animal to eat, has been replaced by giving animals a job to do; for example, carnivores such as lions, vultures and cheetahs are “carcass fed” whole prey or portions of prey to facilitate the natural, physical, social and mental behaviors that these animals exhibit in the wild.
Training too is an another brain enriching activity, and it is invaluable for animal welfare, not only for cognitive stimulation, but also veterinarians and other staff can safely care for the animals. As you would imagine, wild animals display wild animal behavior when frightened, making it extremely dangerous for handling, however, with positive reinforcement protocols, animals are taught to participate in their own care by learning, for example, to present their tail so that the veterinary staff can get a blood draw which is necessary to monitor the health of the animal.
And while the welfare research for wild animals housed in zoos and aquariums has been used for decades in order to understand and meet each species’ needs, the application of this knowledge for our companion animals is a slower concept to take hold, because there are so many factors at play.
Our companion dogs and cats evolved thousands of years ago, and although some may still resemble their wild ancestors, interestingly though, through artificial selection in breeding programs, we chose “baby faced” companions to care for just like we would a human child, thereby making our relationship with them more of a parental role; adding more complexity is that although we may see our companion animals as child-like, our inability to fully understand their animal needs, beyond giving them TLC, leaves us frustrated when their discontentment is exhibited by recreational vocalizations, inappropriate elimination, destroying furniture, and sometimes biting and or scratching their caretakers, which often leads to rehoming or in extreme cases, euthanasia.
In order to set up a winning environment, we can take a holistic approach which includes nutrition, veterinary care, grooming, exercise and mental stimulation.
Companion animals need physical exercise to channel their energy, build muscles, burn calories, prevent some illnesses and feel good. By observing how your dog or cat plays you can learn what they like to do. Cats, for example, will stalk, chase and pounce on prey, so look for toys that can encourage their natural behaviors such as wands where you can interact with your cat. Additionally, there are electronically operated toys that have replicas of prey animals that dart in and out, keeping your cat amused for hours trying to catch the “mouse”.
Enriching your cat’s brain with problem-solving games is also a very beneficial activity so look for toys that stimulate his cognitive abilities to pull strings, flip lids and slide gears to uncover hidden treasures.
Your cat is a hunter by nature, and there are feeder toys that can be placed around the house and in his tree, so that your cat runs, jumps and climbs, to seek the meal that you hid! These necessary natural behaviors cannot be accomplished from eating out of a bowl!
Exercise for dogs can be facilitated by tossing toys for them to chase, or similar to cat wands, there are larger, sturdier versions that have squeaky toys attached for your dog to chase and grab!
Like your cat, your dog’s big brain also needs to be stimulated so look for problem-solving toys that challenge him to turn knobs, push objects, and or hit buttons in order to gain access to hidden toys or treats.
There’s no reason to feed dogs from bowls when there are feeder puzzles that facilitate learning such as Kongs that can be stuffed with food for your dog to unpack and snuffle mats where you can hide food to tap into their powerful sense of smell!
Both cats and dogs can learn new behaviors with the use of clickers and valuable treats. This type of brain-enriching training encourages a love of learning as they discover which behaviors will be reinforced through freedom of choice.
The games, activities, training, outlets for physical exercise, and cognitive stimulation, are only a short list of ideas to explore so that your companion animal thrives. That, along with species-appropriate nutrition, grooming and veterinary care to monitor health and prevent illnesses, are the essentials for a winning environment.
Unfortunately though, even with the best provisions, many situations are too stressful for your pet to enjoy life. To name a few of the many stressors, vacuum cleaners, thunder storms, fireworks, elevators, and traffic noises, which if left untreated, worsen over time, and have a serious impact on their wellbeing. So have a talk with your veterinarian who can prescribe supplements, pheromone products, and or medications to make it easier for your companion to cope with the stress-eliciting stimuli.
Just like the research that went into the building of modern zoo habitats, pet-parents too, with some understanding and effort, can provide winning environments for their companion animals to thrive by encouraging natural movements, finding ways for them to participate in stimulating problem-solving activities, scheduling veterinary checkups to monitor physical and emotional health, and taking the necessary steps to make sure they feel safe.
This, along with some TLC is how companion animals can live their best lives!
HAPPY TRAINING & ENRICHMENT
© Fran Berry CPDT-KA, UW-AAB all rights reserved 2023
