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Exercising Your Pet
By Tamara Sevigny
It is good for you, gives you energy, helps maintain a healthy weight and can even help you live longer. For the same reasons your pet also needs to exercise. Not only will it help extend their lives it can also burn up some of their nervous energy.
As a pet owner one of your responsibilities is to get your pet up and moving on a regular basis. It doesn’t matter if you have cats, dogs, ferrets or even turtles, it is important for everyone. All pets need some form of exercise to live a happy healthy life.
Before starting your pets workout program talk to your veterinarian. Different pets need different amounts and types of exercise. With a little creativity you can work up an exercise program that won’t seem like work at all to your pet, but play time.
Dogs
Dogs can be great fun to exercise because they can get you out and moving yourself. But just like people who aren't used to exercise, dogs should start off slow. Moderately paced walking and swimming are a good way to start. A daily 10 to 15 minute walking or swimming session is a good start. If, after a few months, he's doing well and can handle long, fast walks without fatigue, he can graduate to jogging with you. Once he's adapted to the exercise, you and your dog can run, walk or even swim to your heart's content.
If your pooch seems bored with running or walking there are other ways to get him the exercise he needs. A 15-minute game of fetch makes for a good, fun workout. Supervised play with other dogs is a good option too. If your dog has the interest, try running him through agility obstacle courses, which incorporate a range of activities.
Cats
Cats can be known for laziness. They love to snooze in the sun in the afternoon and cuddle in your lap at night. But even cats need to get up and moving regularly. Cats enjoy short, frequent periods of intense activity. There are some fun toys you can buy that your cat is sure to enjoy from kitty trees, mechanical animals and lasers. There are also many things around your house that the cat may enjoy just the same. Anything that moves easily across the floor that he can bat around, such as balled up paper or pantyhose is great. String is always a popular choice, as are empty boxes and paper bags. There are endless possibilities, but as always make sure your kitty is playing with something that won’t be harmful if swallowed or if he becomes tangled up.
Exotics
Even pets in cages need exercise! Some small pets may get enough exercise simply moving around their cage if it is large enough. But even they would enjoy the change of pace with a little outside of the cage play. Larger caged animals may lose muscle tone or become obese if they don't get enough activity. In-cage activities, such as a hamster wheel, climbing ladders, pipes, bells and other toys are great options. Let the small furry animals out of their cage by using a hamster ball. Bigger animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and iguanas can enjoy the run of a pet-proofed room with supervision. And everyone loves fresh air, a securely covered outside pen is a great way to do that.
Whatever type of pet you have, their need for exercise is just as important to their health as their need for shelter, good food, and clean water. For help in designing an exercise plan for your pet, contact your veterinarian.
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