Brain Games and Sniffing Games for Dogs and Cats at Home

No time for a long walk, it's raining, or your cat is pacing around the flat? Brain games and sniffing games are a great way to keep your pet busy at home. They get their brain working, and a brain that has worked gets tired too. Here are games that are easy to set up, often with things you already have to hand.

Why brain games are good for them

Dogs and cats need to move, but they also need to use their senses and solve little problems. Dogs are sniffing champions; cats are hunters who watch, search and pounce. Asking them to search for their food or think to earn a reward meets these natural needs.

These games don't replace walks or physical play, but they complement them very well, especially on days when you have less time.

Golden rules before you start

• Short sessions: a few minutes is enough. It's better to stop while they still want more.
• Start easy: they need to succeed quickly to understand and stay motivated. You can make it harder later.
• Always end on a success.
• Use their daily portion: take the kibble from their meal for the day so they don't put on weight.
• Stay with them: keep an eye on them, especially with cardboard, paper or a new toy, and remove anything they start eating or destroying.

Sniffing and brain games for dogs

"Find it!": the kibble hunt

1. Ask your dog to wait (or have someone hold them).
2. Put a piece of kibble in plain sight, a metre away, and say "find it!".
3. Once they've got it, hide the kibble a little further away: behind a table leg, under a cushion, in another room.

Very soon, they'll use their nose rather than their eyes. It's one of the simplest and most popular games.

The cup game

Take three upside-down plastic cups. Hide a piece of kibble under one of them, let your dog sniff and reward them when they point to the right cup with their nose or paw. Shuffle the cups once they get too good at it.

The rolled-up towel

Lay out a towel, sprinkle it with kibble, then roll it up. Your dog has to unroll it with their nose to find the treasure. A homemade version of the snuffle mat.

The surprise box

In an open cardboard box, put some scrunched-up newspaper with a few pieces of kibble hidden inside. They dig, they search, they find. Stay close by: they mustn't swallow the paper or cardboard.

The food-dispensing toy

A toy that releases kibble when your dog rolls it makes them work out how to do it. For a small dog, the Pattoune treat ball (8 cm, soft rubber) works well. For a bigger dog, choose a larger model: a ball that's too small could be swallowed.

Brain games for cats

Feather wand hunting

Move a fishing-rod toy like small prey: it hides behind furniture, freezes, then suddenly darts off. Let your cat catch it regularly and end the session with a real "capture".

Kibble up high

Cats love to climb: hide a few pieces of kibble on a cat tree, an accessible shelf or at the foot of a piece of furniture. Start with easy, visible spots.

Egg boxes and cardboard rolls

Slip kibble into the cups of a cardboard egg box, or into empty toilet-paper rolls with the ends folded in. Your cat has to fish them out with a paw. Remove the cardboard if they eat it.

The treat ball

Lots of cats love pushing a ball that rolls and drops kibble. A faceted ball changes direction as it rolls, which looks a bit more like unpredictable prey. Show your cat how it works by rolling it in front of them the first time.

Learning little tricks, at any age

Learning something new is also a real mental workout, for dogs and cats alike (yes, a cat can learn!). A few easy ideas, with a piece of kibble as a reward:

• "Touch": they come and touch your hand with the tip of their nose.
• "Spin": they turn in a circle by following your hand.
• The names of their toys (for dogs): they learn to fetch "the ball" or "the rope".

Reward every bit of progress and stop before they get bored.

Mix it up to keep their interest

Switch games from one day to the next and put toys away between sessions: anything that comes back after a few days becomes interesting again. If you have several pets, have them play separately when food is involved, to avoid tension.

To get the most out of the ball day to day, read our treat ball guide. And if your cat is showing signs of boredom, also read my cat is bored: signs and solutions.

Frequently asked questions

From what age can you offer sniffing games?

From a very young age, with very simple versions and very short sessions. For a puppy or kitten, keep the games easy and adapt the size of the kibble and toys.

My pet gets discouraged quickly. What should I do?

The game is probably too hard. Go back to an easier step, use a reward they love and praise them as soon as they succeed. The difficulty can come later.

Do sniffing games really tire them out?

Searching with their nose and thinking take concentration. Many owners notice that their pet is calmer after a session. It doesn't replace their physical needs, but it's a great complement.