Animal stimulation

[casey]

Posted by: yawehsbeloved Dec. 2 2004, 10:35 PM
Our animals need to be stimulated right?.....well i put all the toys that that particular animals needs and yet they all together don't play with them or hardly ever play with them, thus making them unhappy and unstimulated.
How do you get them to play with the toys... I mean I put the toys right in front of their houses and they still don't play with them.
HELP!  

Posted by: MinGraphics Dec. 3 2004, 06:47 AM
Are your animals alone or do they have mates? Playing with other amimals is the best way to get the stimulation need filled. Toys come after that.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 3 2004, 08:41 AM
Well, everything comes in time. But I think that there's some sort of random testing that goes on when an animal is near an enrichment object as to whether it'll play with it. What I've done in the past is repeatedly pick up the animal and place it as close to the object as possible. If the animal walks away, I pick it up and place it near the object again. Usually after 2 or 3 tries, the animal will play with it.

[casey]

Posted by: yawehsbeloved Dec. 2 2004, 10:35 PM
Our animals need to be stimulated right?.....well i put all the toys that that particular animals needs and yet they all together don't play with them or hardly ever play with them, thus making them unhappy and unstimulated.
How do you get them to play with the toys... I mean I put the toys right in front of their houses and they still don't play with them.
HELP!  

Posted by: MinGraphics Dec. 3 2004, 06:47 AM
Are your animals alone or do they have mates? Playing with other amimals is the best way to get the stimulation need filled. Toys come after that.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 3 2004, 08:41 AM
Well, everything comes in time. But I think that there's some sort of random testing that goes on when an animal is near an enrichment object as to whether it'll play with it. What I've done in the past is repeatedly pick up the animal and place it as close to the object as possible. If the animal walks away, I pick it up and place it near the object again. Usually after 2 or 3 tries, the animal will play with it.