Since your apartment pet will have to make do with less space than its yard-bound brethren, you’ll need to consider yourself entertainment director as well as master or mistress of your dog or cat. We’ve assembled the essential pet products and practices to keep your pet happy and healthy in your apartment.

Great pet toys
In the wild, your dog or cat would spend the majority of its time on the go, looking for food. To make sure that your pet stays happy and well behaved in your home, be sure to provide pet accessories that will let them perform similar activities — constructively. Every dog or cat needs something to chew, bat, roll or climb. For your dog, chew toys are essential to healthy behavior. Think organic products (sterilized bones) or chew toys made of rubber such as Kongs, which can be filled with food to keep your dog purposefully chewing and foraging for hours.

For cats, the Peek-a-Prize Toy Box lets them enjoy the thrill of the hunt while trying to extricate visible toys from the box’s many holes. Simple pet toys like the Cat Dancer will entice your cat with plenty of movement on the end of a wire, reminding her of favorite things like butterflies and mice. A scratching post is a great alternative to your sofa, so put one where your cat will enjoy using it.

Feeding your apartment pet
Keep your pet on a set feeding schedule that doesn’t include any people food. It’s especially important for a dog’s eating times to correspond with its “bathroom” access. Letting a dog or cat chew on dry pet food all day can cause weight problems, carpet accidents and also make your animals bored and neurotic.

For younger animals that need to eat more often or adult pets whose dinner you might miss, consider an automatic feeder to make sure your pet is fed. Some feeds have settings that will let it dole out portions when you decide.

Always make water available for your animal. Options for keeping your pet hydrated can range from the simple standard water bowl, to automatic water dispensers to pet water fountains.

Pets need exercise
With enough stimulating toys, cats can usually find a way to get adequate exercise within a small space, but most apartment dogs need to get out for a walk multiple times a day. Ideally, you’ve selected a breed of dog that can live happily in an apartment and be comfortable with a walk in the morning and evening. If not, consider a dog walker who can chaperone your pooch in the great outdoors while you’re at work. Time spent exploring outside with your dog is a treat for both of you, so build walking time into your before and after-work schedule.

When walking your dog in your apartment community, a good leash is a must. The ASPCA has guidelines on which leash will be best for you and your dog.

Cleaning and your apartment pet
Good housekeeping and pet grooming go hand-in-hand and are essential for keeping your home pet and people-friendly. Brushing your dog or cat regularly (outside, if you can) assures that its fur ends up in your brush and not all over your sheets or sofa. Vacuuming, mopping and dusting keeps dander, fur and odor at bay, and cleaning your cat’s litter box daily will keep you and your pet healthy and make everyone in your apartment much happier.

Apartment living doesn’t mean you can’t have a pet. Choose the right one and provide properly for its feeding, training and exercise and you’ll make you and your apartment pet the happiest of roommates.