6 Indoor Games To Entertain Your Pet During Winter

During the summer, it's easy to entertain your pets. Dogs can spend hours running and playing in the yard, and even your cats can go outside if they like leashes or have a safe outdoor setup. Entertaining your pets can be more difficult during the winter. Dropping temperatures and icy conditions mean it's often too cold to take them outside and too icy for their paws. That doesn't mean that you and your pets need to spend the entire winter being bored, though. There are plenty of games you can play indoors!

1. Play Hide-and-Seek

Cats and dogs alike love a good game of Hide-and-Seek. If you've seen the Ninja Cat video or the blanket challenge that went around to trick your dogs into thinking you've disappeared, you know this is true. Try it with your own pets! Hide around the corner and play "peek-a-boo" with your cat, moving to a different spot every time she finds you. Hide in a different room and call out to your dog until he follows your voice to the right room. Of course, you can also try that blanket challenge if you haven't yet!

2. Get a Game of Fetch Going

Who doesn't love the age-old game of fetch? Grab your dog's favorite tennis ball or squeaky toy and give it a toss across the room. When your dog grabs it, call him back to you, and repeat the process. This is an especially good game if you have a retriever breed, but most breeds will go playing fetch. Since you'll be playing inside, it's important to choose the right type of toy to prevent accidentally breaking something. Look for toys made with lightweight foam or other light materials, such as the KONG FetchStix Dog Toy or the EzyDog Fido Flyer Dog Toy . Although fetch is less commonly thought of as a game for cats, many cats also enjoy the game, so don't be afraid to try it with your feline friend's favorite mouse toy.

3. Make Treat Time a Game

The reason that so many dogs and cats become bored during the winter is that their indoor toys don't pique their curiosity and make them use their brains as much as their outdoor games do. Help your pets work out their minds by turning treat time into a game. Purchase puzzle toys for cats or dogs, drop your pet's favorite treats into them and let them have fun figuring out how to get to the yumminess inside. Toys like the Nina Ottosson Puzzle Dog Toy - Treat Tumble keep your animals entertained, help them to exercise their mind, and even makes treat time more fun for you since watching your pets figure out the puzzle is part of the fun.

4. Teach an Old Pet New Tricks

Okay, so your pet doesn't necessarily need to be old, but there's nothing wrong with teaching your cat or dog a few new tricks. Start by practicing any old ones, then move on to something new. Whether you're teaching your dog how to roll over or teaching your cat to give you a high five, make sure you have their favorite treats on hand to offer as rewards as they learn. In addition to treats, some cats and dogs learn better with clicker training. If you haven't tried to teach your pets any tracks beyond the basics, doing some research may help. You can then try different techniques until you learn what your pet responds to.

5. Play the Find It Game

Do you remember playing the "hot or cold" game in elementary school? Did you know that your dog can play the same game and that just 10 minutes of it can do the same for his mind as a short walk? The best part is that all you need is your dog's favorite toy (you can try this game with cats, too, but they are more likely to lose interest). Give your dog a command that has him stay in one spot, show him his favorite toy, and then hide it. When you're ready, let him find it and give him praise when he does. Start with easy hiding spots in the same room. As your dog gets used to the game and understands what's expected of him, you can move to harder hiding spots in other rooms of the house.

6. Purchase Automatic Toys

Maybe your dog and cat get to lounge around during the winter months, but chances are you still have work, appointments, and other responsibilities to attend to. If you want to prevent your pets from becoming bored but don't have time to play one-on-one with them every day, invest in automatic toys. From dog toys that release tennis balls to cat toys like the PetSafe Zoom Laser Cat Toy , automatic toys can provide hours of fun for your pets while you're at work. Some automatic products even allow you to control them from a mobile app when you have a few minutes during the day.

Keeping your cats and dogs happy and healthy during the winter sometimes takes a little extra effort. After all, when humans are stationary during the winter months, they are more likely to become bored, gain weight, or even suffer from depression. Animals aren't much different. By keeping these games in mind, you can entertain yourself and your pets, and help to keep all of you healthy at the same time.