The month of April marks National Pet Month, a time to celebrate and express gratitude for our furry friends, while also raising awareness of responsible pet ownership. Pets make our lives so much better, so we need to make sure that we make theirs better too! This month we’re sharing five things you can do to be a responsible pet owner.
Invest time in training
Investing time and effort into training and socialising your pet is crucial for their wellbeing. Training your pet from an early age will help you establish control of their behaviour and avoid any negative behavioural traits that they may develop as they grow. Training also builds confidence, provides mental stimulation, and strengthens the human-animal bond. You can read our blog post on how to improve your next training session with your dog here.
Provide a well-balanced diet
Pets can’t decide what to eat themselves, so it’s our responsibility to make sure they’re getting the right foods to fit their nutritional needs. When our pets don’t eat enough, eat too much, or are eating the wrong foods, they can experience compromised physical health which can lead to poor mental wellbeing. Providing your pet with a good diet is essential to their overall health and quality of life, it can also help to boost their immune system and prevent chronic diseases.
Invest in a pet tracking device
Investing in a GPS Pet Tracker is beneficial for your pet’s wellbeing and safety. No matter how behaved and well trained your pet is, there’s always a chance that they could get lost. With a GPS tracker you’ll be able to always see their exact location and find them a lot faster if they were to go missing. Pawfit trackers also come with Activity Monitoring and Personalised Fitness Goals so you can easily monitor how many steps they’ve done, calories burned, distance travelled and how inactive/active they are each day.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise for pets, especially dogs and cats, is essential as it helps keep them in shape and is super important for their physical and mental health. If pets don’t exercise, they may become obese and struggle with issues such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory problems. Most dogs need at least 1-2 walks per day (depending on breed and medical conditions), a walk is a good opportunity for them to burn some energy and can also reinforce routine into their lives.
Lifetime commitment
Bringing a pet into your life is a lifelong commitment and it isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. Before getting a pet, it’s important to carefully consider the responsibilities involved, including financial costs, time commitment and emotional investment. On average, dogs and cats live for around 15 years, so pet ownership is a long-term commitment that should never be rushed into or decided upon during a temporary situation.
