Besides rewarding your pet, giving treats is also an excellent way to bond with them and show them how much you love them. Many people will place the treats in the pet’s eating bowl, but this is too cliché.
Since you love and enjoy spending time with your pet, you should make the treat time more enjoyable. How do you do it? Here are excellent ideas you can go with:
Use an interactive treat-dispensing toy.
Treat dispensing toys are not only fun, but they are also a great way to keep your pet mentally and physically stimulated while they eat. The reason for this is that the toys require your pet to figure out how to access the treats inside, which can be fun and challenging at the same time.
If you don’t already have a toy, purchase one from your local store, then fill it with your pet’s favorite treats. You should then show your pet the toy and encourage them to interact by rolling it around or nudging it with their nose.
With time, your pet will figure out how to access the treats. To make it more interesting, make it more challenging for the pet to access the treats by adjusting the difficulty level of the toy.
To ensure that your pet doesn’t damage the toy or accidentally ingest small parts on the device, always be present to supervise your pet while they play with the toy.
Whenever the pet gets access to the treats, praise them for their efforts and give them an additional treat.
Like humans, pets get bored when the task is monotonous, or you use the same toys, so regularly rotate them to keep them interesting for your pet. Also, remember to regularly clean the toys to protect your pet’s health and hygiene.
Let your pet find the treats.
When the pet has to find the treats, you and the pet have a great time doing it. The challenge also stimulates the pet mentally, which comes in handy in keeping them alert at all times.
You should hide the treats in various parts around the house, such as under the furniture, in cardboard boxes, or even inside puzzle toys. Once the treats are in place, give your pet a cue that it’s time to start searching. Some of the terms you can use include “go hunt,” “hunting time,” “find your treat,” or any other term that you have trained your pet.
Supervise as the pet searches for the treats and give them praise and affection whenever they find one.
Like with the toys, always aim to make the game more challenging to keep the pet more engaged. You can do this by hiding the treats in harder-to-find locations or increasing the number of treats that you hide.
As mentioned, always be present when the pet is doing the searches to tell when it misses the treats and keep the pet safe and prevent it from damaging your yard or furniture.
Mix up different treats
The same way you get excited when you have a buffet is how your pet will get excited when you offer mixed treats.
Pet treats come in different shapes, colors, and textures. Some are soft, others crunchy, and others chewy.
Start giving your pet different treats, such as baked, freeze-dried, or even homemade treats, and find the ones they love the most.
You also should offer a variety of flavors such as beef, chicken, fruits, fish, and any other that will excite your pet’s taste buds.
Rotate them to ensure that your pet never gets bored with the treats. For example, you can give them chewy treats today, tomorrow crunchy ones, and sometimes a blend of the two.
Regardless of the type of treats you choose, ensure they are high quality and nutritious.
Many pet owners love giving their cats Vitakraft Lick’ n’ Lap treats. These treats are made from salmon and real chicken, so you are guaranteed that they will give your pet all the nutrients it needs to remain healthy.
The treats are ideal for pets of all ages, and you can give them directly from the sachet, squeeze them onto a plate or place them on your finger for your pet to get them from there.
Vitakraft Lick ‘n’ Lap Snacks, Named Best Cat Treats of 2022 by the People magazine, further solidifies that these treats are the best to go for if you want to train and bond with your pet which ensures that they are as healthy as they can be.
Surprise your pet with homemade treats
Instead of always buying treats, you can prepare them at home and give them to your pet. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the homemade treat is healthy and contains all the ingredients that the pet enjoys.
If you have never prepared a treat before, you don’t have to worry, as there are plenty of online resources you can use to learn how to do it. For an even better surprise, give your pets organic and natural treats.
Sometimes you don’t even need to prepare the treats. You can give them fruits and vegetables that are pet safe. Excellent options include carrots, apples, and green beans.
Treat your pet to an experience.
Instead of always giving your pet a food treat, you can give them an experience treat. When they learn a new trick or are well-behaved, take them to a new park, a new walking route, or even a swim.
For indoor pets such as indoor cats, consider bringing nature inside by opening the windows to allow for plenty of sunshine and fresh air. You can also get acorns, feathers, and other objects that the pets can smell and play with.
Always wash these non-food treats with mild soap and water to protect your pet’s health.
Parting shot
These are some ways to make pet treat time more fun and enjoyable. Treats are an excellent way to reinforce good behavior and bond with your pet, but they can be bad for your pet’s health, especially when you choose the wrong ones or don’t administer them as they should.
Remember that too many treats can result in weight gain and other health complications, so always consult your veterinary doctor before you offer the treats.
Related Reading