5 Easy-to-Follow Pet New Year’s Resolutions

I have no idea how one would get a cat or dog to adhere to a New Year’s resolution on their own. That’s where we, as pet owners, come in.

Like most humans, I think a lot of resolutions pertain to general well being: eat healthier in 2014, exercise more, start taking the stairs and park further away from entrances. Exercise is always on my resolution list and it’s one that falls by the way side pretty quickly. Let’s not let that happen this year! In terms of our pets, I think an excellent resolution would be to see that they get more exercise daily. It’s good for them for the same reasons it’s good for us. Why not work together? Here are my top five pet-related resolution recommendations:

1. If you have a dog, make a plan to get one extra walk in during the day. Before work is always nice because then your pooch can snooze when you go head out the door to the office.

2. For cat owners, it’s easy to rev up a feline exercise routine with a laser toy. You can multitask by enjoying a cup of coffee (skip the cream and sugar), while letting your cat chase around after the red dot. But, remember that laser play is not a fair game because cats don’t actually get to catch anything. Reward them with a yummy treat and some extra attention.

3. Drink more water. This is a good one! Every year I promise myself that I am going to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. From your pet’s standpoint, make a resolution to wash out their water bowls weekly so that algae doesn’t grow in the water. And if you have a water fountain, then add changing the water filter every six weeks to your resolution list. It’s important for pets to drink lots of fresh water in order to stay properly hydrated. This is especially important if your pet eats a diet of mainly dry food.

4. I am always promising myself home facials. It so easy to put on a facemask while you work on a manicure and pedicure. Pets also need regularly nail trimming. If you don’t trim your cat’s nails and the dew claw on the side of the paw, the nail can grow into the skin and be extremely painful. It can also cause infection. Remember that long nails are uncomfortable for your dog, too, and could damage your nice floors!

5. I remember as a kid being told that it’s important to brush your hair with 100 strokes a day. I must be honest; I never do that any more. It’s important to brush your pet for the same reason as their hair can also mat easily, which is both uncomfortable and unhealthy. So make a resolution to schedule regular brushing time for your pet. It doesn’t matter where you do it. I brush my cats when they are sitting on my lap and we are watching TV. Apart from getting their grooming done, it’s a wonderful way of spending quality time together.

 

-Photo Credit: From flickr by Bokswagon