It has been proven that during play substances known as endorphins are released which act on the brain causing a feeling of well-being. This is the reason why animals like to play. Playful behaviour is seen particularly in young animals, although it may also appear in adult animals of species which develop social behaviour, such as wolves for example.

 

Playing with animals is proof of our affection for them and it is also a way of alleviating their boredom. It must not be forgotten that animals often behave similarly to human beings. As such, this article aims to suggest the most appropriate games for different pets.

 

Using up physical energy is not only beneficial for human beings. Animals, dogs in this case, also need to. Exercising a dog does not always have to involve long walks. Intense aerobic games serve the same purpose and are fun for the animal.

 

Particular attention must be paid to puppies. They benefit especially from running after a ball or a Frisbee and being taught how to bring it back. Consequently, this habit can be encouraged by first using small rewards such as food. Then they will do it just for fun. A period of fifteen minutes per day is sufficient to alleviate the animal�s apathy.

 

Another way of making a dog happy, particularly if it is young and energetic, involves channelling its predatory instinct, in other words, build or give it a toy which hangs (by tying a piece of string with a ball on the end to the door handle, for example, so that the dog has to jump up and down to reach it).

 

You will need to move the ball fast enough so as to encourage the animal to watch and jump.  If the game is stopped when the dog is still having fun, and you hide the toy, each time you show it the ball it will recognise it and start to jump up and down again.

 

As well as sleeping, washing and purring, cats devote much of the rest of the day to playing, although the time they allocate to this activity will vary depending on the animal�s age.

 

So for example, kittens, less than four months old, are the ones that devote up to an hour per day to playing. Adult domestic cats also want to have fun and, as they do not need to spend their time looking for food or defending themselves from their enemies, they also play.

 

In general, cats play when they are relaxed and worry-free, which is what tells us that a cat that plays is a �happy� cat. Cats� favourite games are lying in wait, chasing and catching moving objects, activities which help them to practice their hunting skills. A pussycat will have a lot of fun chasing moving objects, particularly if they are small, as they behave as if they were hunting and the toy was their prey.

 

Sometimes, cats have picked up bad habits such as throwing themselves at their master�s ankles and feet. It must be taken into account that these are misguided games.

 

In order to avoid this kind of conduct it is important that the owner spends some free time playing with the animal using a more acceptable toy, such as a ball tied to a piece of string (remember: do not give the cat balls of string or wool to play with, they are dangerous, they could get caught up and also swallow fluff). The owners should never forget that their pets are their responsibility and their education will depend on them.

 

Despite the fact that in any pet shop there are numerous toys intended for rodents, excluding exceptional cases, only the children play. So, why are there toys for rodents? The answer is quite simple; adult rodents do not need to play, but on the other hand, they do need to amuse themselves.

 

In nature, rodents spend the majority of their time searching for food. In captivity they do not need to devote hours to these tasks, they can just approach the feeder and eat to their heart�s content, which means that the animal has much more free time and ends up being bored. As such, in many cases they become aggressive towards other animals and even towards their carers.

 

The conclusion is that if they do not need to play, they do need a means of entertaining themselves sufficiently so as not to become bored. There are different ways of achieving this.

 

Playing with food could be an option. Varying it and introducing new elements into their diet makes their environment rich in stimuli, the pet will never know what it is going to eat that day, and as such its enthusiasm will be greater than if you gave them the same thing every day.

 

Furthermore, you need to make them work for their food a little bit; give them a walnut or a hazelnut in its shell every now and again. You can also give them some of their food inside a non-poisonous cardboard box or wrapped in paper. Another method is to distribute the food around the house and not put it in the feeding place; the animal will amuse itself whilst looking for it.

 

One of rodents� main distractions is nibbling. Nibbling is not just a distraction, it is a necessity. Their incisors grow permanently throughout their lives. For domesticated rodents it is essential to give them a way of wearing out their incisors. Toilet or kitchen rolls are a very good option.

 

They are cheap, easy to get hold of, they are not dangerous and provide these animals with good entertainment, for as well as nibbling on them, they will use them as toys. Another good option is the branches of certain trees.