10 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Pet (and You)
1. Measure Your Pet’s Food
Many pet owners refill their pet’s food bowl whenever it’s empty. Or pet owners eyeball the amount of food they give their pet. This tends to result in pets that are overfed and overweight which can be detrimental to their health in the long run. The best way to fix this is by measuring your pet’s food. All you need is the proper size measuring cup to ensure your pet is getting the proper amount of calorie intake. A majority of food bags and cans have recommended feeding guidelines on their packaging based on a pet’s size and age. This is a great New Year’s resolution for you to make for a healthier lifestyle for your pet.
2. Try a New Activity
Doing the same routine every day can become mundane for both you and your pet. That’s why it’s a great idea to mix things up every once in awhile. This New Year’s make a resolution to try new activities with your pet to keep them interested. For cats this can be new playtime activities and for dogs it can be taking them along to more outdoor adventures. In this day and age, it’s much easier for people to include dogs in their exercise routines, from hiking to kayaking. These activities will help both yourself and your pet stay in good health.
3. Schedule a Check-Up
People get yearly check-ups and your pet should get one too. An annual vet visit is an essential part of good preventive care. Visits at the vet are the perfect time to ask for advice on pet care, update your pet’s food, and get an expert opinion on any behavioral issues affecting your pet. It’s highly important for older pets to have annual check-ups. There are many medical conditions that come with older age such as arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. A check-up will help detect these conditions early on and make them easier to manage.
4. Groom Your Pets Daily
A New Year’s resolution that will keep your pet looking fresh and clean is to groom them every day. There are many helpful reasons to brush your pet daily. For instance, it reduces the amount of fur they shed which will reduce the amount of pet hair you find on your furniture and clothes. Daily grooming also helps distribute oils from the skin to the fur, which keeps the coat shiny, soft, and healthy. Grooming your pet is a great bonding experience that shows your pet your truly care and love them.
5. Practice Good Oral Hygiene
As it is with people, good oral hygiene will keep your pet happy and healthy. A lot of pet owners neglect to brush their pet’s teeth which can lead to a buildup tartar and bad breath. The best way to prevent tartar and plaque is to brush your pet’s teeth daily with toothpaste meant for pet use only. There are also water additives, dental diets, and treats that reduce tartar and help keep your pet’s teeth clean. However, regular cleanings by a veterinarian are the best way to your pet’s teeth in the best health well into their senior years.
6. Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
As animals get older cognitive deterioration starts to occur. The perfect New Year’s resolution for your older pet is to teach them a new trick. Mental stimulation in animals helps reduce cognitive deterioration in aging pets. So, teaching your pet a new trick will keep their brain active and healthier. Practice old tricks and teach them new ones to keep their neurons firing. One great task to help your pet stay mentally stimulated is the use of puzzle feeders. These puzzles give your pet a task that requires mental stimulation in order to retrieve a reward.
7. Update Pet ID and all Pet info
A lot can happen in one year. People move, change their phone numbers, and ultimately forget to update their pets tags with this new information. Any time important information changes the pet tag should be updated and the end of the year is a good time to remember this. This new year’s resolution is more for the pet owner than the pet. So, in the unfortunate case that your pet runs away or gets lost all the information on their tag is up to date.
8. Daily Exercise/ More Playtime
One of the biggest health issues pets have are weight-related. These weight-related issues are easily reduced by daily exercise and more playtime for your pet. Daily walks and playtime also have the chance of fixing any behavioral issues that have arisen within the past year. Keeping your pet active is the perfect New Year’s resolution to have for better health for yourself and your pet.
9. New toys
Overtime, a pet’s favorite toy can become boring to them. The New Year is a great time to go through all the old toys and dispose of toys that are dirty and rarely used. You want toys that your pet can enjoy and a dirty toy is not going to be used much by you or your pet. Playtime should be fun for both your pet and you and fresh new toys will help with that.
10. Help Yourself to Help Your Pet
In order to make the New Year’s resolutions for your pet stick, you need to work hard on yourself too. Dedicate yourself to getting more exercise so both your pet and you stay in good health. Also, it is wise to start and keep a pet financial fund in case of any pet emergencies throughout the year. All you have to do is put a little money aside each month into a pet savings. Do things that keep you excited and happy because a happy owner has a happy home with happy pet.