Videos for Pets to Watch

Keep your dog or cat entertained while you’re away with these films.

Ever wonder what your dog does all day when you’re not home? What about your cat? Well, if they are like most pets, they spend their alone-time sleeping the day away. However, if you’d rather they use their time more wisely, consider putting a video on for them.

Research has shown that both cats and dogs can recognize images and movement on TV screens and computer monitors, leaving the door open for pet-loving video producers to create an assortment of videos for dogs and cats to enjoy.

As you might suspect, you won’t find a lot of award-winning performances or suspenseful plot twists in videos for pets to watch. Instead, these productions are focused primarily on movement and sound that attracts dogs and cats. In most cases, the videos are designed to stimulate pets and give them something to look at. In some cases, they are designed to relaxed stressed out pets, and help them stay calm in stressful situations.

Here are just a handful of the videos available for your cat or dog’s entertainment.

• Videos for Dogs Extravaganza: 8 Hours of Bird and Squirrel Fun
  Your dog (or cat) can watch birds and squirrels scampering around for hours on end with this video, available on YouTube.

• Peer Windows: A Film to Help Relax Cats and Woofering Heights: A Film to Help Relax Dogs
  These videos are designed for cats and dogs, respectively. Available on YouTube, they are meant to help reduce anxiety in your pet. You can put them on in stressful times, such as during thunderstorms or while fireworks are going off. Or, if you have a pet with separation anxiety, you can leave them running when you are away from home.

• Cat Games
  Cats can’t stop watching the graphic images in this series of entertaining videos, available on YouTube or directly from the producers at TVBini.com. The shapes, movement and colors lock in a cat’s attention and keep them focused. Some felines will try to capture the graphical mice, giving them both mental and physical stimulation.

• DVD for Dogs: While You are Gone
  This DVD features a collection of calming video and soothing sounds meant to ease a dog’s stress while alone. Canine viewers take a walk through the woods, where they see an assortment of animals, followed by a virtual game of fetch. Nature sounds, soothing music and sonic sounds only audible to dogs provide the soundtrack.

• PAWS-itively Peaceful Pooch
  Dogs seem to enjoy watching other dogs play, swim and relax, according to the producers of this DVD, which has all that plus ducks, a playful cat and a tortoise. Music and ambient nature sounds provide the audio backdrop, and were selected to help dogs relax.

While not all dogs and cats are drawn to watching videos, the ones who are seem to really enjoy what they are seeing. Sit your pet down in front of your TV or video monitor and give one of these videos a try. Both you and your pet might really enjoy the results!

About the Author: Audrey Pavia is an award-winning freelance writer and author of “The Labrador Retriever Handbook.” She is a former staff editor of Dog Fancy, Dog World and The AKC Gazette magazines. To learn more about her work, visit www.audreypavia.com and hollywoodhoofbeats.net/