8 Ways You Can Exercise Your Pet Indoors

With the sun heading to bed a little earlier and the cold, blustery winds waking up to take its place, you and your pets have every reason to stay huddled indoors beside the manufactured heat. 

While it’s tempting to truncate your walks and playtime for comfort’s sake, it’s important to remember that your pet’s need for activity and stimulation won’t dwindle with the temperatures.

Here’s our top eight ways to keep your pets fit as fiddles without ever stepping out.

1. Adjusted fetch

Snag a padded, indoor ball (or tennis ball if you’re not too picky about your floors scuffing), clear the family room of any obstacles and fetch like you would in the fields. A chew toy may work just as well.

2. Mammal in the middle

For cats and dogs who don’t jump at the idea of fetch, mammal in the middle is a perfectly adequate fill-in. Grab a friend or family member, stand a few feet apart and volley one of their toys back and forth.

3. Follow the leader

For better or for worse, most pets will follow their owners to the ends of the earth. Lucky for you, you can stop short of the earth’s end and simply walk to the kitchen and back. Your pets will likely trail behind.

4. Toys, toys and more toys

The same old same old may not cut it for indoor exercise. See if you can add a new toy or two to the rotation, and watch your pets reignite their love of gnawing.

5. String them along

Mouse on a string. Fish on a string. String on a string. Wave anything dangly in front of your pet can get their prey drive engaged, leading to minutes (or even hours) of uninterrupted playtime. 

6. Tug of war

Some pets just have that eye of the tiger, so introducing competition into their fitness routine could be the trick. Get your hands on a rope toy and dangle it in front of their nose. May the best creature win.

7. Take the stairs

Encouraging your pets to follow you up and down the stairs could be all the cardio they need for an afternoon. Seriously. Just a few trips up and down a few floors could even potentially take the place of a short walk.

8. Laser light show

Cats love them. Dogs love them. Owners love them. A dollar-store laser pointer can work wonders for keeping your pet active and engaged in the chase. Just make sure you’ve cleared out a safe, pet-proofed space for them to zig and zag.

Bonus: Hit the gym

We can’t in good conscience suggest everyone purchase a treadmill or exercise wheel for their pets, but rest assured — they’re out there. If your cat or dog is struggling with their weight, see if you can get your hands on some workout equipment. Many adjust to the size and shape of any cat or dog, 

Or better yet: Talk to us about portioning our real, good food for weight loss. Then treat yourself to the home gym.