Seniors Like to Strut Their Stuff Too!

  Posted on October 20, 2010  by Joy of Living  No comments

This past weekend I worked an overnight pet sitting gig caring for Audrey the Cat and Abigail the Dog. Both are nine years old, so by most accounts would be considered seniors.  When I sat with them for the first time earlier this year, neither did much, just laid around most of the time with the occasional sigh coming from one or both of them.

I decided to try a couple of experiments to see if I could interest them in a little play for some mental stimulation.  First, I flashed a laser light toy around Audrey.  She chased the light up and down the stairs and all around the room.  For the remainder of that stay, and for all stays since Audrey waits in the front room for her laser light play time.

In Abigail’s case, a Kong toy loaded with treats gave her something to do to help alleviate the boredom.  This past weekend I decided to try taking Abby for a walk.  The first time I took her, she was hesitant to go out the door, not sure of what was to come.  Once outside, she did very well.  The next day she went out without hesitation and seemed to really enjoy the walk time.  The picture accompanying this post is Abigail after we got back from our second walk.

Exercise is good for your pet mentally and physically.  If you pet isn’t used to exercise, start slowly, and work up to longer exercise periods.  As you can see from Abby’s picture, it’ll make your pet smile!