The idea of our pets being stressed makes me laugh sometimes, (“There are too many soft surfaces to sleep on!!”), but I do get it. We move their food bowl (or we move period), and we shake up their routine by bringing them new places. Even itty-bitty change weighs heavily on my particular pet.

Fresh air, sunshine, and perching points for cats are all vet-recommended ways to take the edge off, according to Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, veterinarian and author of WebMD’s Tales from the Pet Clinic blog. But, surprisingly for me anyway, so are pet puzzles, pictured above.

With DogBrick, designed by Swedish designer Nina Ottosson, you put food under the easily nosed-off liftable puzzle pieces, and your pet is rewarded with a treat. Why is this good for them? Ottosson says this gameplay encourages mental activity in our pets. Without such organized stimulation, she says they’ll stimulate themselves with bad-dog behavior. In her blog post, Hohenhaus points out an important health benefit, as well: it helps control weight by slowing their rate of eating.

What do you think? How’s your pet’s weight or stress level, and is this just the thing for them?

Photo: The Orvis Company

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