Establishing an Exercise Regime for your Pet

Just like humans, pets need exercise too!

The workout regime you design for an animal will depend largely on what species the animal is. Other factors to consider would be age, size and mobility.

• Very small animals such as mice or gerbils may only need an exercise wheel or things to climb on to meet their exercise needs. These animals are naturally very energetic and will happily take advantage of any exercise opportunity presented to them.
• Medium-sized ‘cage animals’ such as rats, rabbits and guinea pigs may need a little bit more attention as most of their cages are roomy enough for comfort, but not for an appropriate amount of exercise. Still, these animals generally get enough exercise by daily excursions from their cage in a safe room, run or playpen.
• Cats are often given the space they need for their exercise, but lack the stimulation to actually get up and do it. Cats that are allowed outdoors will often find enough things to interest them to facilitate their own exercise needs. They will take part in climbing trees, chasing bugs or leaves, even just prowling around looking for ‘intruders’ but strictly indoor cats may require some human intervention. Cat trees tend to be expensive but can easily be made with carpet remnants and large cardboard tubes like the ones carpet or linoleum is shipped on. These trees provide the opportunity to climb and scratch that cat’s need. Cats should still have a bit of one-on-one time with humans and can get their exercise from playing with feathers or small toys – you can even teach them how to play fetch.
• Dogs are by far the most human-dependent animal for getting the right amount of exercise. And because of the vast range of sizes and physical abilities (think Irish wolfhound vs. pug) their workout regime will be just as individualised as the dog itself. There are some basic tools that can be used for many different breeds, but the exact use of each of those will depend on the dog in question. Keeping these species’ differences and the varieties within the species in mind, you can begin to build a workout regime. Ideally, you want something that is possible to commit to doing every day. In the beginning it may only be 15 minutes once or twice a day, but as the animal gets in better shape you can expect longer workouts up to about an hour.