ArcaMax

I contend that the average monkey, bear or lion in a zoo has a richer life than most of our dogs and cats at home. In fact, all pets require some enrichment, even lizards, and most certainly, pet parrots.

Providing enrichment means manipulating the environment to suit an animal's natural behavior. Over a long winter, and through a wet spring, providing environmental enrichment can also alleviate boredom, especially for dogs who can't get outside as often.

Some larger zoos have full-time employees whose sole task is enriching the lives of "residents." Here are some examples of enrichment at zoos:

--Various condiments are dispensed into holes in a log (offering choice), and as seen on National Geographic TV specials, chimpanzees use sticks and other debris as utensils to scoop the delicacies.

--Inside of a giant ice cube, a polar bear might find a fish treat.

--A pulley speeds across a cheetah exhibit with a whole (dead) chicken; the big cat can the "chase" the bird as if it were alive.

--Randomly spreading food on the ground of exhibits, ranging from various hoof stock species to warthogs, encouraging natural foraging behavior.

Pet dogs, cats and parrots often lead monotonous lives, a challenge for social animals. Families are busier than ever these days and many pets languish home alone. Then, when we are home, how much time do we spend with our beloved animals?

All dogs were bred to do something, but today the rate of canine unemployment is sky high. While increasingly, people keep cats indoors (where life is unquestionably safer), we live in a nation of brain-dead fat cats. Parrots are by nature problems solvers and relish using their beaks as construction tools -- something not always possible in the home.

However, some natural behaviors can be replicated indoors. Cats, for example, enjoy hunting and even playing with their food. Ideally, cats (and dogs) should be fed exclusively from enrichment toys that dispense kibble when pushed or maneuvered. We work for our food, so why shouldn't our pets?

Today, numerous food-dispensing toys are available at pet stores and online. Reserve about 20 percent of your pet's daily food for a game of hide n' seek. Hide the toys so pets must "hunt" for them, then work to get the food out. (Separate individual animals so they don't compete for food, and so you can keep tabs of who's eaten what.)

In a more challenging category are intellectual toys, including Nina Ottosson Company of Animals games and puzzles (http://companyofanimals.co.uk/brands/nina-ottoson). Pets must figure out how to move around puzzle pieces to snatch up treats.

Cats like to search in small, closed spaces. The Stimulo (http://aikiou.com/stimulo-cat-interactive-feeder/) indeed stimulates natural behavior, as cats must use their paws to snatch treats inside narrow feeding tubes.

Pat Sajak and Vanna White would likely endorse the "Treat Wheel." Dogs spin the wheel and if it lands in the right spot, the "fortune" is a treat (http://shop.kyjen.com/treat-wheel.html).

While most pets are motivated by food, some individuals are not. Besides, enriching a pet's environment need not mean spending money on toys or games. A cat can be happy playing with an empty box or paper bag from the grocery store. To make that box "new" again, simply move it to another room. The next day, cut a mouse hole for your kitty to poke a paw through. The day after, sprinkle some catnip inside or drop in a squeaky mouse toy.

For birds, adding a novel item in the pet's cage each day adds a touch of excitement. In the wild, of course, birds fly from place to place so their environment changes.

Possibly the greatest occupational therapy invention for dogs is the classic Kong toy (a hard rubber, spherical-shaped red or black toy) which you can stuff with low fat cream cheese or low fat/low salt peanut butter inside. The pet must work to get the goodies out. Keep a few of these toys stuffed and ready in the fridge; when you leave the house, hide them and let your pup sniff them out.

Another option when you go out: Turn on the TV or pop in a DVD. Parrots often appreciate some of the same programs we do. Some cats like watching DVDs starring lively rodents or lizards. There's even Dog TV, a DirectTV choice with programming content for canines.

Enrichment also includes adjusting the environment for your pets. Offering high places to hang out is good for the feline psyche.

Lots of behavior issues can be prevented when a pet's environments are enriched. If your dog or cat is playing with an appropriate toy while you're away, the pet won't pick a "game" like tearing up pillowcases or pulling down drapes!

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