By Lexi Lepiarz, Adoption Center Manager, Georgia Avenue
You may have heard about the importance of “enrichment” activities when it comes to caring for animals. Ever wonder what that really means?
A technical definition of enrichment is: a process for improving animal environments and care in the context of an animal’s natural history, with the goal of increasing behavioral choices to encourage species-appropriate behaviors, ultimately enhancing the animal’s physical and mental well-being. In other words, the term “enrichment” includes anything that stimulates an animal’s mind or body and encourages them to do what they do best: climb, play, socialize, shred, hunt, explore, dig, roll, groom, run, chew, swim, forage, track, herd, etc.
At WHS, animal caregivers are going beyond catnip and Kong toys to enrich the lives of our animals. Jordana Todd’s latest burst of creativity led her to hand-make origami toy boxes, stuffed with feathers, balls and other toys, their edges finished with curly pipe-cleaners. Add these to the cat living quarters already containing the dangling cardboard swirls Jordana created earlier in the week, and you’ve got a cattery full of busy happy cats! Each cat chose how he wanted to approach the origami box depending on his own personality—whether slowly investigating, gingerly removing one toy at a time with a cautious paw or pushing the whole box around as one huge toy. Some cats decided to shred the box and bat around the pipe-cleaner curls, while others held mock-hunts with the toys hiding inside.
Meanwhile, animal caregiver Natalie Ruhl is thinking outside of the toy box to enrich the lives of our dogs. After rabbits and cats were groomed (also a form of enrichment), the hair shed from these smaller animals was presented to dogs to investigate, successfully firing up their senses naturally and safely. Natalie also likes to take large pieces of packing paper, spritz on some diluted extracts and hide treats within a large packing-paper crumple, allowing animals to tear the paper apart to reveal hidden goodies. Other forms of enrichment happening around the adoption center are play groups, quiet-time, group training classes and aromatherapy in kennel and cattery areas. No animal is too big or too small for enrichment!
Here at the adoption center, enrichment is another word for fun—while it also helps mentally and physically stimulate our animals, which can help them find homes even faster. At home, you too can give your pet an opportunity to express natural behaviors with store-bought or homemade enrichment… I mean, fun! And remember, next time your cat shreds a new roll of paper towels, or your dog makes a “nest” with the contents of your linens closet, you can think of it as an enrichment experience—and then find some creative new outlets for them to continue!
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