We know there are a wide range of benefits that play can bring. For many of us as children, the word ‘playtime’ brought excitement and a smile to our faces.
Our pets no doubt enjoy the same experience since we can recognise their behaviour and reactions; a wagging tail, jumping or zooming around are some of the happy body language traits displayed. One of our 14 year old cats still bounces off walls and couches when in playing mode with his favourite mouse toy! No doubt, play keeps any soul young and active.
Ensuring lots of play for your fur-child not only prolongs them a healthy and happy life but also provides a happier and balanced pet.
As a responsible and caring owner, you begin to identify the different types of play. A pet can easily be highly trained through play, as we see with dogs who can sniff out illegal substances. Their reward can simply be a ball along with an appraisal pat on the back which helps cement a positive reinforcement.
It’s highly advised to use a toy as a reward rather than food or treats.
This type of educational play can be one of the greatest advantages of building a strong relationship between you and your pet. Your positive responses to their positive reactions teaches them to respect and trust your commands; it is here that we see their natural instincts acknowledge and accept you as the pack leader.
Our leather toys help to bring out the predator-prey behaviour of your pet’s natural instincts. The softness of leather in comparison to hard plastic leaves a natural feeling in your pet’s mouth, as well as being easy on their gums.
Being pet owners ourselves, we’ve bought and tested many toys on our own pets and we noticed how our soft leather ones always seem to be a favourite of theirs!
RECOMMENDED TOYS TO PURCHASE
Some may say they prefer hard robust toys, but there are some cons to that as well as pros. For instance, your pet may enjoy that feeling of being a gnawing Gnasher, which a harder toy may provide but may also encourage other items to be chewed. With softer toys, pets seem to enjoy just carrying them in their mouths, giving them a familiar comfortable feeling and keeping them in a relaxed state.
However, we are also not keen on giving our pets plastic toys. Not only are they unhealthy to the environment, unless you buy a toy from a company which encourages sustainability, but they can also leave toxic smells and traces for your pet and home. It reminds us of how we once bought a plastic feeder ball for one of our dogs; its vinyl odour could be smelt before we even opened its packaging.
More articles are popping up discouraging owners from buying vinyl or plastic pet toys.
Also, try to purchase toys for your pets in a safety-orientated manner as you would do for young children.
Our aim is to continue to provide toys that are made of natural materials which are safe for your pet as well as the environment.
Ultimately, the decision lies with the owner who should be able to identify which type of toy your pet can interact with in a happy and healthy manner.