Is your pet “bad” or just bored?

What’s the best way to calm down a rambunctious pet?

If you’ve got one yourself, you may have heard something like: “just take them on a long walk or let them run around for a while. It’ll tire them out.” 

Or “Throw some catnip on the ground, they’ll entertain themselves.”

At that point, you might feel so desperate to experience a little peace in the household that you’re willing to try anything to get it. 

And while these bits of “advice” might help calm them down (temporarily), they won’t address the real reason they’re acting that way.

Being a crazy pet parent is highly rewarding, but it can also be frustrating when you start seeing behaviors you never imagined your pet would show. And it’s perfectly okay to feel that way!

In moments like this, we need to remember, our pets can’t talk to us (as much as we would love them to!), so any behavior that’s out of the norm is their way of trying to tell us something.

We just need to be willing to listen.
So back to that “advice.” Not all frisky, undesirable behavior is due to a lack of physical exercise. It’s possible that your pet is just really bored! 

Here, a little understanding of what they need–and a whole lot of love and compassion–can go a long way to restoring peace.

In the case of boredom, it’s likely they just need some mental stimulation (not another lap around the block).

Bored pet? This is what it looks like

When you think of a bored dog or cat, your mind might go straight to chaos and destruction. 

But beyond the shredded pillows and chewed-up shoes, boredom (and the stress that can come with it) can also show up as:

🐾restlessness or constant attention seeking

🐾excessive sleeping

🐾repetitive behaviors (excessive licking, pacing, pulling out fur

🐾irritability towards other pets

If your pet seems to be acting up, take a moment to notice if anything has changed. Are you gone for longer periods of time? Working at the computer all day? Unable to engage in playtime or walks like you used to?

None of this means you’re a bad pet parent!
It’s an opportunity to explore ways to excite and entertain your beloved fur friend while they’re inside, even when they’re alone.

Engagement doesn’t need to be expensive

Got a hand towel lying around? An assortment of treats? (Of course you do!)
There’s no need to get overwhelmed by searching “interactive toys” on Google right away when you can start with a simple, DIY enrichment experience (and yes, this can work for dogs or cats, if they’re food motivated!):

1. Lay the towel flat

2. Place a couple treats along the long edge, leaving about an inch of space

3. Roll the towel over the treats, completely concealing them

4. Place more treats on the towel and continue to roll, covering each row as you go

5. Once you’ve got a long, rolled up towel with treats hidden inside, tie it into a big knot

6. Let your pet use their nose to sniff out the treats… and figure out how to get them!

Curious about other ideas?

🐾 Take a paper towel roll, toss some treats inside, and close the ends.

🐾 Cut holes into the side of a plastic water bottle, drop some kibble or small treats inside, and let your pet roll it around to get them out.

🐾 Set up a scavenger hunt! Have your pet wait while you hide treats in another room (don’t make it too hard!). Let them explore and find them all.

Noticing a trend with these options? They’re easy and they don’t require any fancy toys or huge investment to give your pet a serious boost of mental stimulation.

Options for pets who outsmart the basics

DIY toys are great but once your pet has figured out your tricks, you might consider introducing more intricate toys and puzzles into their boredom-busting routine.

There’s a lot of interactive toys out there, snuffle mats, treat dispensers, electronic stuffed animals…

But if the goal is to provide a little challenge here, our pick would be an interactive puzzle.

Interactive puzzles come in a range of difficulty levels, so your pet can figure out what they need to do before moving on to something that seems impossible!

This Level 2 toy from Outward Hound, for example, requires various actions like lifting, flipping, and sliding to reveal the hidden treats.

Keep things exciting with variety

It’s likely you’ve got that one toy lying around that’s seen too much activity. You know, the one that’s torn to pieces, might need to be washed, and indistinguishable at this point (was it a rabbit? Or a teddy bear?).

When it comes to enrichment activities though, giving your pet some variety can keep them mentally stimulated and prevent them from becoming bored with the toy they’ve figured out.

Rotate between some of your pet’s DIY favorites, challenging puzzles, and other enrichment toys to keep them on their toes (um, paws?).

Yes, cats have options too! This toy from Outward Hound stimulates foraging instincts by requiring batting and pawing to reveal the treats.