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When they’re licking our noses or snoring peacefully at our feet, it’s easy to forget that our pets are descended from wild animals that roam the woods and fields, hunting and foraging for their next meal. But it’s true: Dogs and cats are thinking creatures, driven by their innate predatory instincts to be ever alert, aware, adaptive and naturally curious. By the same token, under-stimulated pets are unhappy pets and often exhibit destructive or neurotic behaviour, from chewing your shoes to picking fights with their peers, licking themselves repetitively and overeating. If pets’ brains aren’t exercised often enough, they can even develop cognitive problems as they age.

It’s in everyone’s best interest, then, to keep your furry family members occupied and engaged, and one fun, effective way to do this is through puzzles and strategy toys. Designed to combat pets’ boredom, stimulate their minds, sate their curiosity, promote mental health and strengthen your bond with one another all at once, such toys present a real win-win-win-win-win for fur babies and pawrents alike. Here, we present our pick of intelligence toys to start training your pets’ little brains this summer.

For Clever Canines

Snuffle Mat
Although Fido no doubt appreciates that his dinners arrive promptly and in a clean bowl, with no effort on his part, he could nonetheless benefit from tapping into his primitive scavenging instincts. A snuffle mat, designed to mimic the feel of grass, allows your dog to follow his nose and to sniff out his kibble, which engages him mentally at the same time as it encourages him to slow down, aiding in proper digestion. Options include the classic snuffle mat, along with more versatile designs such as this Danish creation that lets you switch up the layout and introduce more and more complex ‘problems’ as your dog progresses. Alternatively, you can DIY a snuffle mat yourself.

Twist Toss
Introducing fetch 2.0: this Twist Toss ball is designed to bounce unpredictably, keeping your pup constantly on her toes (paws?). It also doubles as a brain-teasing dispenser for dry or wet treats; fill it with spreads like peanut butter and then put in the freezer to make for an even longer-lasting cerebral snack time. The toy is BPA-free, food-safe and can be put in the top rack of the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

Dog Tornado
Swedish pet toy creator Nina Ottosson offers a range of expertly designed games and puzzles unique to her collection. Her Dog Tornado is a particularly smart toy, featuring four rotating disks that your dog can push and spin in search of wet or dry treats. You can boost the challenge by covering some of the treat compartments with the provided ‘bones’.

Two Towers
Think you’ve got a truly clever canine on your hands? Put her to the test with this demanding game offering adaptable play that can be adjusted from easy-peasy to tricky indeed. The puzzle comes with six drawers and 16 tokens (eight ‘hats’ and eight cylinders): hide treats in the drawers and under the tokens for your furry friend to seek and find. For beginners, the cylinders can simply be knocked over to reveal the treat, but the ‘hats’ must be moved along their track and drawers must be pulled open, requiring your dog to really put on her thinking cap.

Poker Box Strategy Game
While plenty of intelligence toys rely on repeating the same one or two actions over and over, Trixie’s Poker Box strategy games call for a more thoughtful approach. Each of the play elements (which can be used interchangeably in both version one and version two of the game) conceals a treat, but Rover will have to employ different methods to retrieve them. Push, pull, slide, swat – he’ll have to figure out which element calls for which action in order to get the goodies.

Zippy Burrow Log
Many dogs are motivated by food and treats, but for some, it’s toys – of the chewy or squeaky variety – that really set their tails in motion. The Zippy Burrow Log engages such pups by inviting them to root out three squeaky little chipmunks from their hiding place inside a plush log. It will keep spirited dogs busy while promoting spatial reasoning, and offering a peep-peeping play reward at the end.

Wickedbone
As tough as last year’s global lockdowns were on us humans, there was one silver lining: dogs everywhere were on cloud (ca)nine. Now that many of us are heading back to our office desks, where does that leave our pooches – lonely and bored at home? Not if the creators of Wickedbone have a say. This smart, interactive tech toy for dogs is programmed with different motions and movements to entice your pup to enjoy hours of play, even responding to the way your dog interacts with it. Wickedbone can be used in auto-play mode, or you can take over and steer it via the accompanying smartphone app for remote fun with your fur baby.

For Keen Cats

Ambush Interactive Cat Toy
Any cat parent who has accidentally left their toe peeking out from under the bedcovers has learned – the hard way – about the feline propensity to attack such partially burrowed prey. Channel that predatory energy into something that won’t bleed, like this Ambush cat toy with a mechanical feather that pokes out randomly, provoking pounces, swats and strategic strikes. Highlights include the anti-slip feet for tile and hardwood surfaces, the auto-shut-off feature to prevent overheating, and the inclusion of a replacement feather in case your little hunter is a little overzealous. Reviewers cite the sturdy, quality build of the toy, but many have also noted that it’s rather noisy, so not a good fit for very timid cats.

Fun Board XXL
No tricks to this one – just treats. This relatively simple yet entertaining activity board was designed by cat expert Helena Dbalý to engage your cat’s mind while putting the brakes on the feeding process, so that she’s better able to heed her body’s satiety signals at mealtime. For a playful twist, fill it with your cat’s favourite toys, and watch as she roots them out.

Rainy Day Puzzle & Play
With swivelling raindrops, a spinning wheel and sliding pegs that conceal 14 hidden food compartments, this cute weather-themed puzzle by Nina Ottosson will have your cat scratching his furry head, but he’ll soon get the hang of it. The game lets your cat use his instincts to sniff out his food and feel like he’s really hunting for his meal. To keep things interesting and encourage Kitty’s scavenging instincts, set out the puzzle in a different place each day.

Peek-And-Play Toy Box
It’s hard to overstate how much cats love rooting around in holes, tunnels and burrows for whatever they can get their little paws on. The Peek-And-Play toy box lets them indulge to their hearts’ content. Hide toys (the sparklier and jinglier, the better), treats or catnip, and watch them fish around for hours as they hunt their prey. As a plus, the box is entirely made of wood, meaning it’s durable, long-lasting and not offensive to the eyes.

Magic Cat Track-And-Ball Toy
Perfect for older cats that need exercise and mental stimulation, but aren’t quite up for a high-speed jaunt around the house, track-and-ball toys are a popular choice and available in many different designs. This particular set stands out for its flexible track nearly five metres long and made up of separate 164 pieces, allowing it to be shaped into endless configurations and even divided into smaller individual toys.

Turn Around Strategy Game
A brain teaser and slow feeder rolled into one, the Turn Around Strategy Game consists of three suspended tubes that, when struck from the right angle, will turn upside down to dispense food onto a feeding surface equipped with little cones that prevent Kitty from scarfing her loot down too quickly. Equally, the lids of the tubes are designed to only release small amounts of food at a time, and the kit comes with two types of lids that provide different levels of difficulty. A genius toy that will have pets batting and nibbling for hours, it’s also available in a larger format for dogs.


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