According to a recent Sydney Morning Herald Article, more and more of us are willing to pay a premium to allow us to live with our furry companions in inner city apartments:

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/can-i-bring-my-dog-too-20141012-114eyf.html

Until very recently (this month to be exact!) I have been living in an apartment in Rose Bay with my cat Sebastian – and he has been quite happy (if not slightly porkier than I would like…..).

Most of us work much longer days than we would like and most of our fur kids end up being at home alone for long periods of time. There are however a few easy to implement things we can do to make their lives happy and more interesting.

For both dogs and cats consider getting a puzzle feeder. These can be as easy as a home made kibble dispensing bottle (simply make holes in an old plastic bottle- and voila!), or hiding food in an empty egg box for cats – to more elaborately designed feeding stations such as the Trixie Cat Puzzle Boards or Kong dispensers. Alternatively, take to hiding kibble all around your apartment – your dog or cat’s very own daily treasure hunt! Seby is a big fan of his puzzle feeder:

When it comes to toys – variation is the key! Pets get bored of toys very easily – so leave them down for no longer than a week, then swap them with another. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on new toys, simply hide them for a few weeks and your dog or cat will get excited about it once more .

www.petsneedalifetoo.com have a huge range of amazing toys (just be careful not to leave any toys your pet can ingest parts of!)

With cats, remember they see the world from a different perspective and love nothing more that climbing on things and sitting up high. Consider getting a cat tree with various levels for your cat to hide or climb on. If you don’t mind adding to your interior design there are a wide variety of cat shelving and walkways you can buy online, I love:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CatastrophiCreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&ulsfg=true

For a cheaper solution most cats can’t resist a cardboard box.
For dogs try and walk them at least once a day and add in some games for variation. You could try sharing walks with other dog owners in your apartment – so someone can walk them in the morning and the other person in the evening. If you are out for extended periods every day you could even consider a reputable doggy day care or dog walking service.

If you are thinking of getting a new cat or dog and want to discuss ways to enrich their lives to prevent common behaviour problems, or are currently living with an animal suffering from problem behaviours please don’t hesitate to contact Life on Four Legs 🙂