Safety

Supervision and equipment

Directly supervise new toys, food puzzles, DIY items, and interactive play until you understand how your animal uses them. Some activities, particularly those involving strings or chewable materials, require direct supervision every time.

Choose equipment for the animal’s size, chewing style, play style, and behaviour. Check openings for trapping risks and choose pieces that cannot readily be swallowed. No toy is indestructible. Remove equipment when you cannot supervise if there is any concern about chewing or ingestion.

Choking, ingestion, and damaged toys

Inspect toys before and after use. Discard cracked, torn, fragmented, sharp, or structurally unsafe items. Remove loose components and replace damaged equipment rather than relying on a temporary repair that could be swallowed.

String, ribbon, elastic, feathers, small plastic pieces, and detachable parts are particular concerns for cats. Supervise wand toys and put them away afterwards. Do not leave dangling cords attached to furniture or animals.

Food safety

Use food appropriate to the animal’s diet and check every ingredient in fillings or treats. Avoid known toxic foods and do not use unfamiliar ingredients without checking suitability with your veterinary team.

Prepare perishable fillings hygienically, refrigerate them when appropriate, and follow food storage instructions. Offer small portions and remove leftovers promptly. Do not leave moist or perishable food sitting unnecessarily, especially in warm conditions. Discard spoiled food.

Cleaning and hygiene

1. Empty leftover food after the activity.
2. Disassemble equipment when the manufacturer’s instructions allow it.
3. Wash food toys, puzzle feeders, and lick mats with suitable dish soap and water; scrub grooves, cracks, and crevices to remove residue.
4. Rinse thoroughly. Use a dishwasher only if the item is labelled suitable.
5. Dry fully before storage and inspect for damage.
6. Replace equipment that cannot be cleaned effectively or has unsafe damage.

Wash washable fabric items according to their instructions. Replace cardboard and other porous DIY materials when soiled or damaged rather than allowing food residue to build up.

Physical limitations

Adapt movement to health, pain, mobility, sensory ability, and physical fitness. Choose stable equipment and non-slip surfaces. Avoid forced jumps, hard turns, unstable balance challenges, or prolonged exertion beyond the animal’s capacity.

Stop if movement becomes uncomfortable, the animal tires, or the activity causes distress. Follow individual restrictions and seek veterinary advice for a new change in mobility or tolerance.

Emotional safety

Enrichment should not intentionally frighten, overwhelm, restrain, force interaction, or create avoidable distress. Keep a clear option to leave. Do not force an animal into a new environment, towards a novel object, or into social contact.

Freezing, avoidance, frantic engagement, or repeated attempts to escape are reasons to stop or modify the activity. An animal being physically present is not evidence that they are enjoying it.

Multi-animal safety

Separate animals when food, toys, chews, resting places, or attention may create competition. Arrange activities so one animal cannot block another’s access or retreat.

Watch for staring, guarding, chasing, stealing, and withdrawal. Do not put your hands between animals in conflict or force them to share. Follow your veterinary behaviour team’s management plan.

Low-cost and DIY safety

• Cardboard boxes or tubes: Use clean, dry material without staples, tape, or loose pieces. Keep food visible at first. Supervise and remove if chewed or swallowed.
• Paper bags: Use paper only, remove handles, keep the opening unobstructed, and supervise. Remove if torn or ingested. Never use plastic bags.
• Towels: Place food on a flat towel or in a shallow fold. Avoid tight knots. Supervise and stop if fabric is torn, pulled into the mouth, or swallowed.
• Hidden food and scatter feeding: Use clean, reachable locations, track every portion, and collect leftovers. Keep animals separate where needed.
• Homemade scent searches: Use familiar food or a robust familiar toy. Do not add essential oils or unknown plants.
• Household objects: Choose clean, stable objects without sharp edges, toxic residues, loops, or detachable parts. Allow investigation and remove anything that becomes unsafe.

If an animal habitually eats cardboard, fabric, or objects, choose a different activity and ask your veterinary team for advice. Low cost does not make a material safe for every animal.