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Pet Care Games Your Pet Will Love!

October 3, 2016 by Mary Telesz

Pet Care Games“Here boy! Fetch!” will never lose its luster, but with so much technology and innovation in the world, there are a million ways to play pet care games these days.

Pet Care Games

Whether you’re thrifty and want to craft your pet a new toy (the cat ALWAYS plays with the box), or you want to invest in a robot that slings balls, the following are some interesting pet care games that will keep them rambunctious for hours.

Thrifty

If you’re a pet owner that knows a pet doesn’t need much, but still likes to create cool toys for them, then you’d probably be interested in these thrifty examples of pet games:

  • The Catnip Yarn-ball: The ultimate DIY cat toy, this activity combines some of their favorite things, and it will keep them entertained for hours. The secret to this simple toy is the wiffle ball inside!
  • The T-Shirt Tug Toy: If your dog rips through toys like there’s no tomorrow, it might be a good idea to save yourself some dough, and use an old T-shirt instead. Just shred the shirt and braid it back together, knotting the end. Now you won’t care how many toys the heathen rips through!

There are millions of more DIY ideas for pet toys online, or you can create one yourself. Pets don’t generally care about price tags.

Technology

In the digital age, people are finding new and innovative ways to toy with their pets. Whether it’s a robot or a laser, technology has come out with some great games to keep your pet engaged.

  • The Laser Pointer: If you have never purchased one of these cheap $1 toys for your cat, you may not know who they really are. You can find these simple cat toys in any local drug store, and they will have your cat literally climbing the walls. It’s great for indoor cats, too, because it guarantees a ton of exercise while they’re still having fun.
  • The Self-Fetcher: Your dog doesn’t have to be a genius to figure this one out. There are many of these toys on the market, but the basic concept consists of an open container in which to put the ball, and a funnel at the bottom that spits it out. Much like that of someone during tennis practice, it offers continuous play for hours.

The owner can choose to casually sling the balls at their dog with the robot, or better yet, the dog can teach themselves. This is an amazing toy to keep your dog active, and teach them a new trick. Besides it keeps your hands free to maybe read a book, while your dog entertains itself.

Technology is usually a hands-off way of playing with your pet. If you’re looking for a little more exercise, you may want to consider another type of game to play with your pet.

Training

There are various activities you can also do with your pet that not only keeps their bodies active, but stimulate their brains as well. Training pet care games can be entertaining for both the pet, as well as, the owner.

Nose work

A fun and educational activity for both dog and owner, nose work was inspired by the training done with working detection dogs. It’s an easy to learn activity, that’s meant to build both focus and confidence in dogs. It also trains their senses, and stimulates brain activity.

Nose work starts by getting your pup excited about using their nose to find their favorite toy or treat. The game is then expanded across several rooms, outside areas, and even vehicles. Eventually target odors can be introduced, and competition skills can be taught.

Cat Tricks

If cats can be trained to use a toilet, they can be trained to play a game. Cats are much harder to train than dogs, but it can be done. Most cats respond best to a hand clicker, that you use to signal when they have done a trick correctly. Cats can be taught to beg, shake, and even roll over, just like dogs…it just takes a little more patience.

Overall, playing with your furry friend can include a variety of pet care games. Depending on your relationship with your pet, as well as their individual personality, they may respond better to some toys, than others. You know your pet best. The most important thing is that no matter what method you choose, you are keeping them engaged and showing your love.

Filed Under: Pet Exercise

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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