Rainy or Cold Day Routines: Indoor Enrichment Ideas for Pets

Rainy or cold days can feel long for pets and people alike. When walks get shortened and outdoor time is limited, indoor enrichment can save the day by giving your pet a healthy outlet for their energy, curiosity, and natural instincts. The best part is you do not need fancy equipment or hours of prep. A few simple games can turn a gloomy afternoon into a fun routine your pet looks forward to.

Below are easy, practical enrichment ideas you can mix and match for dogs and cats, with options for every energy level.

Why indoor enrichment matters

Enrichment is more than entertainment. It supports your pet’s emotional wellbeing, builds confidence, reduces boredom behaviors, and helps them settle more easily. For many pets, ten minutes of brain work can feel as satisfying as a much longer walk.

Think of it as meeting your pet’s needs in a different way. Sniffing, searching, shredding appropriate items, problem solving, and practicing simple skills all count.

Food puzzles and slow feeding games

Food based enrichment is one of the easiest places to start because it turns a regular meal into an activity.

Quick ideas

• Use a classic puzzle toy or slow feeder bowl.

• Stuff a rubber food toy with kibble, canned food, or a mix. Freeze it for a longer challenge.

• Scatter feed. Toss kibble across a towel, into a snuffle mat, or around one room so your pet can search.

• Make it easier but using larger pieces, fewer hiding spots, or shorter time.

• Make it harder but using smaller pieces, more hiding spots, freeze it, or increase the puzzle complexity.

Safety tip

Always supervise new puzzle toys until you know how your pet uses them, especially if they are a chewer.

Snuffle mats and sniff based games

Sniffing is calming and deeply enriching for most dogs, and many cats enjoy it too with the right setup.

Snuffle mat basics

Sprinkle kibble or treats throughout the fabric strips. Let your pet forage at their own pace. If your pet is new to it, start with treats on top so the game feels easy and fun.

If you don’t have a snuffle mat, you can try to use a rolled towel snuffle. Lay a towel flat, sprinkle treats, then roll it up like a burrito. For an extra challenge, loosely tie it in a knot.

Cardboard box games

Cardboard is magic to pets. It is cheap, easy, and incredibly versatile.

Cardboard search box

• Grab a box and add safe paper filler like packing paper or paper towel rolls. Drop in a few treats or pieces of kibble and let your pet sniff and dig to find them.

The “box maze” for cats

• Set out two or three boxes with entry holes. Toss in a toy or a few treats. Cats love exploring and pouncing in tight spaces.

Shredding outlet for dogs who love to rip things

• Let them shred a plain cardboard box under supervision. Sprinkle a few treats inside first so it becomes a purposeful activity.

Safety tip

Avoid staples, tape, glossy coated boxes, and anything with unknown residue. Always supervise so your pet does not eat large pieces.

Easy training tricks for rainy days

Training is enrichment. It builds communication, confidence, and can be done in tiny bursts throughout the day.Keep it fear free and frustration free. Short sessions win. Aim for one to three minutes at a time and end on success. If your pet seems stuck, make it easier immediately.

Low effort tricks that pay off

• Touch: Teach your pet to boop their nose to your hand.

• Find it: Toss a treat a few feet away and say “find it” as they search.

• Sit, down, stand: Great for dogs, and some cats enjoy targeting or simple cues too.

• Place or mat: Teach your dog to settle on a bed or mat, which is especially helpful when the house feels busy.

• Spin, paw, chin rest: Fun, simple, and very reinforcing.

Scent games and “nose work” at home

Scent games are one of the best rainy day tools because they are mentally satisfying and naturally calming.

Beginner hide and seek

• Start with your pet watching you place a treat under a cup or on a chair. 

• Release them with “find it.” 

• Celebrate when they succeed. 

• Then begin hiding treats while they are in another room.

Muffin tin game

• Place treats in a muffin tin and cover some spaces with tennis balls or safe toys. 

• Your pet will sniff and remove the covers to get the reward.

Scent trail

• Drag a smelly treat across the floor in a short line, then hide it at the end. 

• Let your pet follow the trail.

For cats

• Hide treats in a few predictable places around one room. 

• Cats often prefer short, frequent hunts instead of one long session.

A simple rainy day routine you can copy

If you want a plug and play plan, here is an easy one.

• Morning: Breakfast in a puzzle or snuffle mat.

• Midday: A few minutes of training, then a “find it” treat hunt.

• Afternoon: Cardboard box game or shredding session with supervision.

• Evening: A calm lick mat or slow feeder, then a short settle on the mat.

This keeps enrichment spread out so your pet gets multiple bursts of engagement without getting overtired or overstimulated.

Choosing the right game for your pet

• Every pet has a different comfort level.

• If your pet is shy or anxious, start with low pressure sniffing games and easy wins.

• If your pet gets overexcited, choose slower activities like licking, snuffling, and gentle searching.

• If your pet is high energy, mix scent games with short training and a bit of indoor movement like hallway recalls or a toy chase.

• The goal is always the same. 

• Enrichment should feel safe, enjoyable, and doable for your pet.

Rainy days do not have to mean restless pacing or bored mischief. With a few simple indoor games. food puzzles, snuffle mats, cardboard box fun, easy training tricks, and scent games, you can turn indoor time into a routine that supports your pet’s whole wellbeing.