Hey, fellow pet lovers!! 

I hope you’ve all had a great weekend, I’ve been extremely busy and went on a three-day residential business course to help make epoch.pet even more wonderful for all you lovely pet lovers out there. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how important it is to get all three of these aspects right for our canine and feline companions and I plan to write three separate posts that talk about the importance of play, fitness and nutrition.

Today’s post is all about the importance of play for our canine and feline friends. Since Nia and Lily’s birthdays earlier this month we have really upped the girls play time and they’ve been spending a lot more time in the park playing with their fun new toys.

Let’s jump straight in and learn all about the importance of play for our canine and feline friends!

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The Importance of Play

A lot of pet owners do the same boring walk each and every day, never breaking away from the mundane daily walk is a real trap for not only yourself but also your pet. This year has been a real game changer for my all three of my girls and I love how much healthier they are getting each and every day.

As some of you will already know Nia and Lily had their birthdays earlier this month and we got two new toys, Lily got a Squishy Face Flirt Pole and Nia got a set of PULLER Rings which she really loves! Since getting the girls these fun and interactive dog toys the amount of play time they have has increased, alongside their fitness levels and they seem generally much happier.

As for my girl Pooss, this year has also been great with many added fun and beneficial feline toys, her Catit Senses Grass Planter, and her much-loved window seat being a house cat really doesn’t have to be boring. Today I want to mention the importance of play and the three different types of play that you can do with your pet.

So what are the three different types of play?

• Locomotor play.

Locomotor play is exactly what it sounds like and involves movement and exercise.

I love taking my girls to the park, beach or the Leas and they seem to really enjoy it too, personally, I think this is the best form of play to tire your pet out and being outside is always lovely providing the weather is nice.

• Playing with an object/toy.

My girls love toys, especially Lily and her obsession with balls!!

One of the easiest and most fun ways to play with your pet is to bring a toy into the mix. Nia is in love her new Puller rings and if you’re stuck for some great toy ideas then check out some of my previous blog posts,

• Squishy Face Flirt Pole, product review.
• PULLER Rings Interactive Dog Toy, product review.
• KONG Wobbler Treat Dispensing Dog Toy, product review.

Personally, my favourite out of the above has to be the Squishy Face Flirt Pole and I cannot believe it has taken us so long to get one!!

• Social Play, let’s have a playdate.

One of the most common forms of play for our canine and feline friends is social play, our pets love meeting up with their furry friends and having a run around off the lead at the park, or going on a long walk with other pooches is always great. Not only is this form of play great for tiring your pet out but it also provides your pet or pup with essential socialization skills.

So now we know what the three main types of play are, why it is important to play with our pets?

It is so important to play with our pets for a variety of reasons and a study from Bristol University has revealed that play is just as important as we think it is for our pets well-being. I couldn’t find the original study but 4000 dog owners took part and the results were very interesting.

Researchers found that a lack of playtime for our dogs can have a serious negative effect causing up to 22 behavioural issues such as

• Anxiety.

• Aggression.

• Pulling on the lead/bad walking.

• Constant whining.

These are just a few of the many issues and the study found that there is a strong correlation between a lack of play and increased behavioural issues with our canine companions.

It was found that 20% of the pet owners that took part in the study played with their pet six times a day, 50% played with their pooch two or three times a day and 10% engaged in play only once a day. Unfortunately, 94% of pet owners who took part reported behavioural issues in their pets.

Gabbard, J. (2018). The Importance of Play for Dogs Revealed – Puppy Leaks. [online] Puppy Leaks. Available at: https://www.puppyleaks.com/importance-play-dogs-revealed/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

This makes me realise that although we care for our girls as best we can I really need to start adding more play time into their little lives. Stick around for some more information about the study once I have found the original report and also a post on some interesting ways to play with your pet indoors.

So now we know that a lack of play can have some serious implications for our furry friends what are the real benefits of providing your pet with enough play time?

• Playing with your pet provides both physical and mental stimulation.

Providing your pet with an adequate amount of playtime is so important, not only does it provide physical stimulation but also much-needed mental stimulation that will help your pet relax and chill out at the end of the day, making your life that little bit easier.

• Playing with your pet helps you to be in the present moment.

Life can sometimes be difficult, dealing with work stresses, family responsibilities and just everyday mundane tasks can sometimes become too much.

One of the best things about playing with your pet is that it is fun, sometimes if I’m having a bad day or I’m really struggling to write then I will take the girls to the park for a quick half an hour of play time and come back to the task at hand with a new, more positive mindset. Playing with your pet helps put you in the present moment and if this is something you don’t do enough, then this is something you really need to change!!

• Playing with your pet strengthens your bond.

epoch.pet’s purpose is to create an even stronger bond between you and your pet by optimising the time you spend together through play, fitness and nutrition, all whilst pushing the boundaries of the standard of care.

One way you can easily strengthen your bond with your pet is by setting aside play time each and every day. Playtime doesn’t mean you have to take your pet to the park and let them chase after the ball, it could simply be half an hour of indoor training or hiding your pets toys around the house and letting them sniff them out.

• Your pet gains a sense of freedom.

By allowing your pet some time off the lead during play time at the park or where ever you decide to go, you are giving them some much-needed freedom. Nia is so good off the lead but if there are other dogs around then we put Lily on a ten-meter training lead as she can sometimes be a little dominant.

• Your pet can socialize with other pets.

Play dates at the park ensure your pooch or pup has time to socialize with other pets which will allow them to learn normal canine behaviour and help make your life a lot easier.

No matter how busy you are never missing out on your pets play time is vital, a happy pet is a healthy pet and it’s your responsibility to ensure their physical and mental needs are met!

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Playtime with my girls, Nia and Lily ❤

We do a mixture of fun-filled activities with Nia and Lily to keep them both mentally and physically stimulated. My favourite thing to do is to head to the park and let them run around off the lead or hide one of their toys around the flat and let them sniff it out.

Playtime can consist of endless options but one thing is for sure, your pet cannot go without!!

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Playtime with my girl Pooss ❤

As many of you will already know my girl Pooss is a house cat so we have to try extra hard to keep her both mentally and physically stimulated and we do this in a variety of ways.

We have bought her many fun and interactive cat toys mainly from a company called Catit who I love, if you have a cat then check out some of my previous posts to learn more about Pooss and the great pet products we use to keep her happy.

• Caring for an Indoor Cat.
• Catit water fountain, product review.
• PMS Kitticat Sunshine Window Cat Bed, product review.
• Catit Senses Grass Planter, product review.

If you have an indoor cat then I would definitely suggest getting the Catit water fountain, Catit Grass planter and the PMS Window seat. Out of everything Pooss has these are by far the best and most useful pet products.

Some of you might remember one of my other posts from earlier this year and that was my Simple 10 step DIY Cat Scratching Post. One way we tire Pooss out is by getting treats and making her run up and down her post a few times before giving it to her. This such a simple idea but it is so effective, another way we tire Pooss out is by letting her chase a feather around the rug.

There are so many ways to play with your pet, whether you have a cat or dog play time is essential and it is something all pet owners must do to keep their furry friend happy and healthy. I know this post has been more targeted at our canine friends but there are far more things to do with a pooch than a pooss when it comes to playing. However, the next two posts which will be all about fitness and nutrition will be equally focused on our feline friends.

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If you enjoyed today’s post then let me know by hitting that like button and giving it a share so other pet owners can learn about the importance of play. Also, stick around for the second post in this three post-mini-series on the importance of fitness heading your way next week.

If you haven’t followed us on Instagram then head over there now and join our community of pet lovers where you can find adorable photos of my girls Nia, Lily and Pooss to brighten up your day.

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Weekly posts every Tuesday and Saturday!