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How to be a better pet parent

By Pawstro | 23 Jan, 2021 in Cat Lover

How to be a better pet parent

Your pet is like your very own little child that needs immense care, a well-organized routine, lots of attention and healthy food.  So, if you have stumbled upon this blog while exploring what to do in order to make sure that your pet gets that extra care and love, you have successfully crossed your first puppy step. First of all, you must be responsible and conscious in ensuring that your pet is not ignored or neglected and gets the appropriate treatment from you. It will not only keep him healthy physically and mentally but also make it enjoyable for your pet, you as well as the others around you. Here, we have compiled a list of things to do to be better parents to your pet.

Perform Thorough Research before Bringing your Pet Home
Once you have decided to adopt a pet, perform thorough research to understand their requirements for a healthy lifestyle. Considering their age and breed, you can find out their food needs, their habits to be able to train them, other requirements for healthier life such as how much exercise is required, etc. Your research will help you be fully prepared to bring your pet home. Once they are home, give them a dedicated place with a special bedding, some toys in that place and hang a beautiful pet portrait near the place they like to sit the most. They will feel a certain level of familiarity with the place.

Show them Love
Your pets love you unconditionally. When you love your pet, you must show your love for them with your actions. And the best way to show your pet that you love and care for them is to spare some time for them daily from your busy schedule and spend time with them. Following are the things you can do to show your love.

  • Play their favourite games
  • Take a walk outside
  • Get them toys they like
  • Give them treats
  • Take them on play-dates with other pets

In addition to the above steps, you can give your pet regular baths, keep them well-groomed, take care of their mental and physical health, ease their separation anxiety, etc. A pet comes with responsibilities. From organizing their diet and keeping them exercised to ensure they are well-groomed, pets need to be looked after for their good health and well-being.

Another great way to show love to your pet is through getting Pawstro’s custom oil painting for them! You’ll be surprised to see how they react to a painting of themselves hanging on your bedroom wall.

Make your house Pet-Proof
If you are about to adopt a pet or you already have a pet, you must make your house pet-proof because whether it is a cat or a dog, they can be curious, probably excited and even clumsy. So, to prevent unintentional accidents, injuries and other harmful incidents, make your house pet-proof. Pets, especially dogs are curious creatures who will want to explore your house by licking, eating, scratching, etc. So, you must keep the chemicals away from the reach of your pets, secure other items such as electrical cables, cleaning materials, show-pieces, clothes, etc.

Start Training from an Early Age
Unlike humans, dogs do not learn with age and fit in society. They do not grow out of their puppy stage if they are not trained properly which brings us to the most important action. Each pet parent must be serious and responsible for training their pets too from a young age. Safety of your pets and the ones around them is essential as well as life skills, appropriate social behaviour, etc. You can use the proven technique, positive reinforcement to train them and encourage positive behaviour.

Take them to a Vet Regularly
Your pet cannot tell you that they are not feeling well or they are suffering, at least not verbally. So, it is important that you pay attention to their behaviour. However, it is required that you take them to a vet regularly for check-ups to make sure they are healthy. Most of the time, disease or other health problems are detected at a later stage, which makes it difficult or challenging to treat as well as very painful for the pet. So, in order to avoid such situations, you must take your pet for health check-ups regularly. Also, your vet can help you ensure a healthier lifestyle of your pet with an ideal food diet, exercising patterns and solve other behavioural problems.

Properly ID your Pet
Pets are curious by nature, especially dogs. So, there is always a possibility of your pet getting lost. When you can promise to be responsible for your dog and take care of him, there can be unfortunate events which can lead to a traumatic experience for you as well as your pet. To avoid such incidents, get a tag and collar for your pet. If your pet likes to roam around frequently, it is best to go the extra mile and get a microchip implanted as soon as possible. It’s an easy and quick process which will help you locate your pet anytime.

Make beddings for your pets from blankets and cushions
Your pet needs a comfortable place to sleep. While you can shop for lavish and comfortable beds at pet stores, making a bed on your own is also a great idea. Pull out some blankets and cushions and stack them well in a circular arrangement. Don’t worry much about the arrangement, your pets will sleep on the bed and make it comfy in their own way by adjusting a few blankets and pillows here and there and making space for themselves. Some types of pets like rabbits also like wood shavings, grass, hay, etc at the bottom surface which can be easily arranged.

Buy a carrier for your pet
You might need to take your pet out along long distances. If your pet is small, just making them sit on the car seat might not be comfortable on a long drive. All you need to do is buy a suitable carrier or harness for your pet so they can be comfortable along the drive. Pet supply stores sell plastic as well as fabric carriers which you can buy as a one time purchase.

Be well prepared for unforeseen circumstances
Sometimes, a long work trip or an illness can prevent you from looking after your pet. In such cases, be well-prepared by discussing your situation well in advance with your relatives or friends who can look after your pet for a couple of days. Make sure you familiarize your pet with these people so they can feel a little at home when they are in a different place altogether. As far as your pet’s food is concerned, provide your temporary pet caretaker with your pet’s favourite food or guide them on what they can stock. This will help your pet stay happy and not completely throw them off due to too many changes happening in their routine.

Buy toys that your pets will love! 
If you give a dog a chew toy, it will not chew on your shoes. If you give your cat a scratch post, it will not scratch your couch. If you give your pets some toys that they can chase or hold by a string and run along, they will play by themselves even when you are not paying much attention to them. You can also buy them toys that make noise to keep them engaged and happy.

Give your pets their time and space to meet new people
Pets take time in adjusting to new situations, places or people. Understand your pet’s behaviour. If your pet is friendly, you can make them meet your friends and take them places. If your pet is timid and shy, give them some alone time. Let them get comfortable on their own- with you as well as with any new people they might have to meet frequently. Always supervise your pet as they socialize. Just like us humans, pets might also get anxious in new situations and they can bite or scratch. Be observant!

Microchip your pet
While a visible ID tag is a fantastic option, tags can sometimes fall off while your pets are playing. To avoid your pet from getting lost and ever facing such a horrible situation for a long time, you can get a microchip painlessly embedded under your pet’s skin. A microchip comes with a unique identification quote which can be scanned with a unique scanner at a vet clinic or an animal shelter and once scanned, it can be matched with the code in a database to pull out owner information.

Always wash your pet’s food and water bowls
We often don’t pay attention to these little things. Just like you keep your crockery clean, it is important to keep pet bowls clean as well. Any germs, dirt or bacteria build-up can go into your pet’s stomach and make them sick. If you leave a bowl outside for your pet in summers, make sure you frequently clean and change that as well.

You might already be doing great as a pet parent and if you are considerate about humans around you, you will automatically be even more considerate about your pet because it is a different kind of love that you and your pet share. But, there is always scope for improvement and betterment. You will be surprised to see that when you try to be a better pet parent, your pet will also try to be a better kid and the overall experience of pet parenting will become memorable and enjoyable! Just like you develop, work on and maintain a relationship with a human, you do the same with pets and see amazing results!