As a pet owner, you want to do everything you can to take care of your pet. This means doing things every day to keep them happy and healthy. Follow these ten tips every year for the rest of your pet’s life to keep them happy and healthy.
1. Veterinarian Visits
Taking your pet to the vet regularly is the first step in being a responsible pet owner. Since dogs and cats don’t live as long as people do, you should take them to the vet at least once or twice a year.
Going to the vet can be, let’s say, difficult. Cats, in particular, may not like leaving the comfort of their home, but there are ways to make both of you feel better. When your cat is a kitten. It’s a good idea to get her used to her carrier (and avoid the running-away-and-hiding-under-the-bed scenario). Most dogs like to ride in cars. Take your dog on joyrides so he doesn’t think of the car as a place to go to the vet. And most pets don’t mind going to the vet, especially if you choose a vet who gets along well with your pet.
2. Vaccinations
Vaccinating your pets is an important part of caring for them responsibly. Set up an appointment for immunization as soon as you bring your new pet home. During your first visit to the vet, he or she will set up a schedule of immunizations for your puppy or kitten to protect them from getting sick. Vaccinations for puppies should happen soon after you bring them home, within the first few weeks. Talk to your vet about when is a good time to schedule that visit at your first appointment. They keep diseases like rabies, Lyme disease, and distemper from spreading. Vaccines against the feline herpes virus, feline leukemia, and rabies help cats stay healthy.
3. Proper Identification
If your child gets lost, which is a scary possibility because kids tend to run out the door, having the right identification is the key to a happy ending. Start with the basics: a safe collar and a tag with all of your contact information. Along with an ID tag, it’s a good idea to microchip your pet, since a collar can fall off at any time. The microchip is an electronic device about the size and shape of a grain of rice. It is put under the skin of your pet and can be read by a scanner that pulls up your identification information. If you keep your contact information up to date, a combination of these forms of identification will go a long way toward getting you and your pet back together. If your address or phone number changes, make sure to update your information in the microchip.
4. Spaying/Neutering
Sterilizing your pet prevents a lot of health problems, like difficult pregnancies, and lowers the number of animals that end up on the streets. When you spay your cat, you remove her uterus and ovaries. This lowers her risk of cervical cancer, gets rid of her risk of ovarian cancer, and keeps her from going into “heat”.
That makes it less likely that she will leave the house to find a mate, and any male cats in the area will be less aggressive and won’t spray to mark their territory, which is good for you and your furniture. If you neuter your puppy, he won’t be as aggressive or wander around the neighborhood, and he won’t get testicular cancer. Because spaying or neutering is surgery that requires general anesthesia, your pet will probably spend at least one night at the vet’s office to be watched and recover.
5. Good Food
A big part of being a responsible pet owner is making sure your pet always has fresh, cool water and healthy food. The right food for your best friend will make their life better by giving them the energy and nutrients they need. It can be hard to decide what to feed your dog or cat because there are so many options, but you can get good at it quickly by learning about important ingredients and how they help your pet.
Look for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fats when choosing the best cat food online. These are also important parts of dog food online, as is a lot of fiber to help with digestion. Choose a pet food formula that is right for your pet’s age, health, and level of activity, as well as having healthy ingredients. Talk to your vet before switching your pet to a specialized food.
6. Care at home
As the person in charge of your pets, it’s your job to teach them how to stay clean at home and to the vet or groomer. The best way to keep them in good shape is to brush their teeth, comb their fur, and feed them healthy food. To take care of your pet in a responsible way, put hygiene and grooming tasks on your calendar and try to combine tasks, like giving your pet a soothing comb after trimming its nails, until it becomes a habit.
7. Live in comfort
As the seasons change or you change the way you live, take a look around to make sure your pet has a safe, comfortable place to live. Looks a little flat, doesn’t it? Get a new one for your dog. Is litter box space no longer good enough? Get a new box and scoop for your cat’s bathroom to make it look better. This is also a good time to look for any possible risks. Look for cords or wires that are out in the open (young animals love to chew on these), fix any loose windows or screens, and get rid of any plants that could hurt your pet.
8. Learning and making friends
One of the most important parts of being a good pet owner is making sure your dog or cat is well-trained, which includes making sure they know how to behave around other people. It’s best and most effective to start when they’re young, but it’s never too late to learn new tricks. Teaching an animal how to use the bathroom and obeying you are the two most important things you can do for it.
Your puppy or kitten will get along better with you and other pets if it knows how to socialize. Ask your vet or animal shelter for suggestions of good trainers in your area or books you can read to train your pet at home. A well-trained pet is a happy pet, which makes the pet owner happy too.
9. Following the rules at a dog park
Taking your dog outside to play is a lot of fun, and since dogs are social animals, they love to play outside. Follow the rules if you decide to take your dog to a dog park. Proper dog park etiquette, like bringing your toys and not bringing food, keeps everyone safe, especially if a dog is aggressive or hasn’t been socialized enough.
Bring treats to give your guy afterward as a reward for being good. Vets also say that you shouldn’t take your dog to the dog park until he’s at least four months old. This is to make sure that he’s been vaccinated before he’s around other animals.
10. It’s safe to play
It’s not a secret that dogs and cats like to play, and it’s a good way to get them to get along. Count all of their toys. How safe are they? Be aware of worn-out stuffed toys that could cause choking and toys with hard, sharp edges that could hurt someone. Toys that are broken or worn out should be thrown away and replaced. Making your cat and dog toys is a fun and cheap way to add more fun to be a pet parent.
Remember that these tips aren’t just for pet holidays. If you use them every day as a pet parent, you and your pets will benefit for the rest of your lives.
