To Hunt and Scavenge; Honing in on Your Pet’s Instinct at Mealtime to Satisfy Their Belly and Their Mind
Our pets have a long-standing history of hunting and scavenging for their food, and we see some of this natural behaviour in our cats and dogs even today. For as long as both cats and dogs have been domesticated, they have not lost their instinctual response to hunt and scavenge – we see these behaviours instead present in things such as counter surfing, digging and scavenging in the back yard, hunting rodents or bugs, chasing toys and lasers, and so much more. Even in play we observe our pets loving the challenge of the chase, using their noses to seek out reward.
Whether working, sporting, or playing we see instinct and genetic desires persist. And what is often the highest form of payment for our pets? Food! Though hunting and scavenging are not required for survival in their posh and spoiled day-to-day lives, the drive in which they express these behaviours is innate. So how can we mentally enrich our pets to meet their instinctual needs in our own homes? Food is one of the highest rewards and mealtimes are often the highest valued moments in our pet’s daily lives. For pets that are not as food motivated as others, we can reinvent mealtime to allow for new opportunities to enrich them with mental stimulation.
Eat, Sleep, Bark, Repeat
For dogs in particular, food is often a form of payment or reward – we use treats in training, special snacks for spoiling on birthdays and special occasions, and mealtime as a peak experience in their day. Variety alone can offer plenty of stimulation, but how we offer our pet’s meals can be just as enriching as what that bowl contains. Especially for those fussy eaters who are less than enthused when the bowl is placed in front of them, if we can change how we feed, we can both stimulate them physically and mentally, keeping their minds sharper and their instinctual needs met. A number of undesired behaviours can stem from a lack of intrinsic needs not being fulfilled, e.g. not enough exercise, boundaries, playtime, training, etc. – the list can go on and on! Adding a challenge and some mental stimulation can often help.
Making some relatively small changes can have a big impact on our pet’s actions, tapping into their instinctual needs during meals can help relieve issues of boredom, anxiety, and cater to a greater need for breed-specific or genetic traits. For example, a scent-driven breed like a Beagle, needs to keep that nose busy. Using a compartmentalized feeder, like the SodaPup Mandala or Honeycomb Ebowl, can be a rewarding meal. Fill the compartments alternating with Goat Milk, Quail eggs, Herring Oil, and your Big Country Raw recipe of choice, creating a symphony of yummy smells, heightening the enjoyment and challenge of meal time, and getting that nose working. This same method can be a benefit to pets that are naturally less food motivated such as Huskies, German Shepherds, Poodles, and Border Collies – the additional mental stimulation can awaken the appetite in breeds that have heightened work ethic or activity level. Challenging them with puzzle feeders or lick mats might be a key addition to starting routine.
A Little Game of Cat and Mouse
Let’s not forget about cats! Of all furry friends that have moved into our homes, cats have biologically evolved the least. Instead, we are the ones who have evolved to accommodate their daily presence in our home with the invention of cat litter and the ability to store their meaty meals in the refrigerator. And, even now we continue to learn more and can better meet their physical and mental need to hunt by offering enrichment during mealtimes. Studies show that introducing feeding and enrichment toys can help cats that suffer from obesity, anxiety, depression, relationship disputes with other pets in the home or even their human family members. If they have an outlet for their natural skills, particularly around feeding, cats are far more naturally balanced and experience less stress overall.
The more we learn about our pets the more that we can grow to meet their needs. The enrichment options at the pet store are seemingly endless so where to start and how to choose? No one knows your pet better than you do! You can start by asking yourself what are some of your pet’s favourite games or activities? Do you have a dog that prefers digging or sniffing? Does your cat prefer high energy games like chasing, or slower activities like scratching or kneading?
Enrichment Products Available
Slowing down our pets eating can also reduce gulping, vomiting or acid reflux after meals, with the added benefit of mental stimulation and mindfulness at mealtime keeping the positive experience lasting far longer than it would have in a regular bowl. Big Country Raw has several enrichment options available, there is sure to be one (or many) that your pet will love exploring!
- Lick mats have shallow compartments and are great for snack time or slowing down mealtime. Tip – freezing these meals can add an even greater challenge!
- With a slightly higher degree of difficulty, SodaPup eCups are great for prolonging meals. Fill, (freeze if desired) and serve – turning mealtime into an afternoon adventure.
- Slow feeders have more depth in each compartment than a lick mat and work to slow down gulpers with the bonus of mental stimulation and challenge. These bowls make it easy to offer variety in each compartment to keep fussy eaters interested.
- Puzzle feeders offer the optimal challenge. They usually have hidden compartments that require an action to reveal the food or treat – perfect for the Einstein pet, or those that just love a good brainteaser. Puzzle feeders truly offer a scavenging experience to meet that need, and are great for allowing cats or dogs to paw or dig out treats too!
Meeting the needs of our pets goes deeper than simply offering them food, water, and shelter. We all know their bodies need exercise but so does their mind. Adding enrichment play to their day-to-day routine is an effortless way to keep our pets happy, stimulated and engaged. The added benefit is that enrichment can help reduce those unwanted behaviours like barking, chewing, and even counter surfing. Giving our pets an outlet for natural behaviours and activities can offer relief and help them live their best lives alongside us, their caregivers.