Shoot a Note To

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The Buzz on Enrichment

Come and learn how to spice up your pets life! Follow The Buzz on Enrichment for great DIY enrichment for the animals in your world. 

 

Filtering by Category: foraging

No Business like Snow Business

sandy mcpadden

A story about Louie the lop. 

I recently moved to the midwest. 

I am from Arizona. 

Snow. 

rabbit enrichment

Im not a fan of snow. 

Louie the lop from Arizona has never experienced snow. 

I brought in some snow. 

rabbit enrichment

The original intent was to use the snow bin as a foraging activity, hence the romaine and cranberries. 

Louie, in true Louie fashion, ignored my original intent and used it as a digging box. 

SNOW EVERYWHERE! 

Louie the lop decided today that snow in his living room is the best. 

The End. 

*If you want to know if snow is safe to play in,  here is an article on NPR speaking to a couple scientists about it.*

 

 

{E} is even more than anyone that you adore

sandy mcpadden

Ellie is sort of my heart song. 

parrot enrichment

This little chicken takes up a stupid amount of my day. And I love it. 

Enrichment for her (like everyone) is a necessity. She's obviously naked and to prevent her from being even more naked...we switch out/add new/alter/move around things in her cage daily. Or randomly throughout the day. All day. I am changing her environment all day...trying to emulate what she experienced in the wild. 

Because she was literally flying free as a wild bird in the beginning of her own story. 

Anyways. 

Sometimes Im awesome and I concoct really intricate works of art. Other times though, I don't. This is one of those times.

Behold the paper mache symbol

parrot enrichment

 

This paper mache "E" was $6 at my local craft supply store. Ive made foraging toys for the bunnies before but today I'm going basic. She's just getting the "E" for some space saving shredding fun. You'll see a theme in her cage. Paper is her thing. Ellie has no time for wood in her life. 

parrot enrichment

 

{E}asy peasy. 

Get it? E-asy peasy? whatever.

#shredpapernotfeathers

 Im out. 

 

Kong Stuffers made with HEART

sandy mcpadden

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Organ meat. 

The thought of eating it makes me want to gag. Even after saying that, and I am pretty sure that I will get comments telling me that I should eat them. {I won't}

For the dogs (and cats!), though, these little organs can pack a punch, nutritionally. Their odor can too, when they're dehydrating. 

When I am in the dehydrating mood, I pull out a few things at a time. This week I dried Beef liver, chicken gizzards and hearts, sweet potato and green beans. 

Playing the stocking stuffer game is pretty simple if you're using your dehydrator. 

Here what you'll need:

  • Beef Liver
  • Chicken Gizzards & Hearts
  • Green Beens
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Dehydrator
  • Mason Jars
  • A WWII gas mask to prevent you from vomiting when you smell organs drying in your house

Rinse all of your goods before preparing. Cut the liver and sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. This makes the final width easy enough to break in Kong stuff-able sizes. Some blank the sweet potatoes first, I do not and maybe thats why mine are really dull in appearance. 

I dehydrated the meats together and the veggies together. 

Miss Addie was obviously in love. As the taste tester, you get the good and the bad. She got off easy today. 

These make great stocking stuffers for your dogs and cats, but they're a wonderful gesture for friends of the fury variety as well. 

A cute Ball Mason Jar with a touch of raffia makes a for a healthy homemade gift with heart. Get it? A gift with HEART?