Most animal companions get bored from time to time, especially pets who are left alone during the day. Dogs and cats arent designed to be sedentary for many hours every day, and unlike us, they cant pick up a book, watch TV, or surf the Internet to stimulate their minds.

Do you suspect your pet is bored? Is Miss Kitty climbing the walls literally? Is Buddy pacing slowly back and forth in front of you, stopping occasionally to fix you with that pleading look?

More signs your pet could be bored:

Gnawing on furniture or chewing holes in carpet

Excessive attention-seeking behavior

Excessive vocalization

Tail chasing

Ankle-chasing

Repeatedly knocking items off tables, counters, dressers or bookshelves

General rowdiness

Playing keep away with your belongings

Excavating the backyard

If one or more of these behaviors looks familiar to you, its possible your pet is suffering insufficient mental stimulation, as the experts call it.

Hunting for Food Is an Antidote for Pet Boredom

Your dog or cat, while domesticated, has maintained much of his natural drive to engage in the same behaviors as his counterparts in the wild, including hunting for food. Because we hold our pets captive, so to speak, its up to us to give them opportunities to practice those natural instincts. A great way to do that is to have your dog or cat hunt for his food.

At dinnertime, try separating your dogs meal into two or more food puzzle toys designed to encourage her to interact with the toy to get the food. This will stimulate her brain and also provide her with both physical and mental activity for the length of time it takes to manipulate all the food out of the toys.

When shes finished, be sure to wash and rinse the toys thoroughly, especially if you feed your pet fresh food.

Feline Food Hunting

Cats in the wild can spend nearly half their day hunting for food, and your own feline fuzz ball has maintained that same drive. If time permits, try separating your cats daily portion of food into 3 to 5 small meals fed throughout the day in a variety of puzzle toys. If you work outside the home, you can give her 2 or 3 stuffed toys before you leave the house, then a couple at dinnertime and one at bedtime.

This will encourage your cat to hunt and eat on a schedule similar to her wild cousins, and as an added bonus, she might just sleep through the night thanks to the puzzle toy you give her at bedtime.

If your kitty (or dog) has never been exposed to puzzle toys, youll need to phase them in gradually (in other words, dont put the entire meal into the toys right out of the gate if shes never seen the toys before). You may have to show her how to use them by digging the food out yourself as she watches. You can also try smearing a bit of food on the outside of the toys to entice her.

Hide-and-Seek With Food Bowls

Another way to have your pet hunt for food is by hiding his food bowls at various locations around the house. Start with one bowl in his usual spot, and then place additional bowls in other areas where he is sure to find them. You can also do this with puzzle toys.

If you have more than one pet in your home and they dont (or shouldnt) eat the same food, youll obviously need to keep them in separate areas of the house and insure they cant get their paws on food that isnt meant for them.

More Cures for Boredom: Exercise, Playtime, and Companionship

Pets who are well exercised on a daily basis typically dont get bored. My motto is a tired dog is a good dog. At a minimum youll want to take your dog on a brisk walk every day to keep him physically active and stimulate his senses.

Most cats are responsive to toys that can be dangled in front of them or dragged on the floor, inviting them to pounce. Try to interact with your cat with toys for 20 to 30 minutes a day to get her moving and mentally stimulated. Also make sure she has ample cat-friendly items around the house to climb and perch on.

Spending time with your pet each day is also extremely important for his overall well-being. It can be about playtime, a positive reinforcement training session, brushing, a nice massage, or just some cuddle time.

You may have noticed that your pet is never bored when youre spending one-on-one time with him, so thats your cue to give him more of you!

Dr. Karen Becker is a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian. You can visit her site at: MercolaHealthyPets.com

Her goal is to help you create wellness in order to prevent illness in the lives of your pets. This proactive approach seeks to save you and your pet from unnecessary stress and suffering by identifying and removing health obstacles even before disease occurs. Unfortunately, most veterinarians in the United States are trained to be reactive. They wait for symptoms to occur, and often treat those symptoms without addressing the root cause.

By reading Dr. Becker's information, you'll learn how to make impactful, consistent lifestyle choices to improve your pet's quality of life.

For more by Dr. Karen Becker, click here