There's a lot to be said for growing old together as a couple of comfortable couch potatoes. I'd be satisfied to spend the rest of my days snuggling with a cozy lap bunny or vegging out in front of the TV with a tranquil guinea pig lounging on my arm. It's good for your relationship, but not so great for your physical health.
Like me, you may dread the sight of Spot with his leash in his mouth or Kitty dragging in her favorite interactive toy when you just want to crash for the night. But time spent playing with your animal companions not only keeps you both healthier and happier, it can actually strengthen your relationship. If that's not enough to motivate you, I've found bored rabbits will create their own obstacle courses to keep themselves fit and flexible, much to my embarrassment when I have human guests. Cats and dogs are equally creative in making their own fun. If you want to retain some control over your home, you may need to work with your pets to create an exercise program you both can live with.
Keeping a dog fit is especially demanding. An active dog needs lots of exercise - frequent walks, active games, and maybe an agility course to master. Her self-designed exercise program may consist of ripping up the furniture, trailing toilet paper through the house, and chewing up all your favorite shoes.
A better idea is to plan activities with your pets. You'll both have fun and probably benefit from the experience. It's probably a good idea for your dog to get a thorough checkup before you plunge wholeheartedly into a strenuous exercise program - it wouldn't hurt to get one yourself if you're the sedentary type.
Second, make sure the exercise is fun. For dogs, the old standby walkies is great exercise and a potential socializing opportunity. Dogs are also natural swimmers, though it's best to introduce a dog to swimming as a pup. Jogging and biking with your dog are also fun if properly planned. Hiking with dogs is becoming popular, along with some newer sports like flyball and skjoring - cross-country skiing with dogs. And don't forget, dogs love Frisbees and the traditional game of fetch.
Cats sometimes play fetch, too. But most enjoy exercising with toys they can pounce on or leap at. A simple ping pong ball or wad of paper can amuse a cat for hours. The old scratching post provides valuable stretching exercise, too.
It's important to exercise a cat's imagination as well as his body. Paper bags and cardboard boxes are opportunities for fun, and a toy dangled from a pole is an economical and entertaining interactive amusement that will keep your cat jumping.
You'll find plenty of action toys for small rodents in your local pet stores - ramps, tubes, exercise wheels, etc. - but you can make a stimulating environment with empty Kleenex boxes and other objects to climb on, hide in, or run through. Rabbits love cartons to redesign and hide in and a variety of chew and toss toys like baby blocks (for chewing) and toilet paper or paper towel cardboard tubes (for tossing and chewing). Fun-loving and hyperactive ferrets enjoy playing with balls, running through tubes, swinging on hammocks, and - if you turn your back on them for a few seconds - tunneling through your walls.
A little horseplay can be good for the soul, too, and equine sports physiologist Nancy Spencer has developed a Basic Equine Stretching program designed to keep your horse fit while strengthening the bond between you. The simple exercises not only keep the horse more supple, they can prevent injuries just as warm-up and cool-down stretching routines benefit human athletes.
Whatever your exercise plan, and whatever kind of pet you exercise with, remember to have fun.
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