Dog owner shares clever hack using old toilet paper rolls: 'The best'

A dog owner found a great way to keep their cocker spaniel engaged while also recycling a common household item. A TikTok video gave the lowdown. 

The scoop

Beanie (@goodboybeanie) wrote in the video caption: "1000/10 for the toilet paper roll filled with kibble enrichment hack, Beanie's new favourite way to eat breakfast! The only downside is remembering to pick up the cardboard before he eats it too."

@goodboybeanie 1000/10 for the toilet paper roll filled with kibble enrichment hack, Beanies new favourite way to eat breakfast! The only downside is remembering to pick up the cardboard before he eats it too 😅 . . #dogenrichment #cockerspanielsoftiktok #spanielpuppy #enrichmentfordogs #diy #dogtreats #showcockerspaniel ♬ original sound - Beanie | Cocker Spaniel 🤍✨

Beanie's breakfast burrito consists of a used toilet paper roll with snacks tucked inside and the ends folded in.

Other crafty pet parents have found similar uses for toilet paper rolls but prefer to cut a hole in the middle for their furry friends to use. It works just as well for rabbits and guinea pigs, too.

How it's helping

Enrichment is a way to strengthen a pet's mental health. These animals are cooped up at home all day, despite having evolved to thrive in the wild. Giving them an opportunity to rummage and chase is a way to feed those instincts, reduce their stress, and improve their health.

While there's a massive market for pet toys to meet these needs, they can get expensive, and the amount of plastic involved introduces some health risks. When used to their fullest, plastic pet toys end up in landfills, where they shed particles that end up in our food sources. Ingesting these microplastics can pose various health risks, including endocrine, immune, digestive, and reproductive issues, to people in the long run.

By comparison, paper products covered in dog drool are great for composting with minimal environmental impact. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters have already been putting together some toilet paper roll toys for their own pets.

"The best zeus lovesss these and doesn't eat the cardboard when there's biscuits in there," said one community member.

"2.5 seconds and Pearl was done lmfao. She enjoyed it though," said a commenter.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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