Ask any new pet owners what they wish for their new buddy and “good health” or “long life” will probably be at the top. And it’s important to remember that health is about more than just diet and activity but encompasses your pet’s overall wellbeing and happiness.
Here are five ways to give your new cat or dog the best possible start in life!
- Be very hands on. Watch a mama cat or dog with her litter and you’ll see how much touch and interaction goes on among them all. There’s pushing, poking, cleaning, playing and cuddling, so keep that in mind as you raise your new pet. Help him integrate gradually into your home environment (whether quiet or noisy) and be sure to provide plenty of petting, holding and grooming. Let other people besides you give food and treats. Animals who are handled more when young are much easier to care for throughout their lives, and much more enjoyable to be around!
- Have the right tools on hand. Life with a pet can be a lot less messy and troublesome when you have the right tools on hand. For dogs, essentials like a comfortable bed (we love Muttropolis!), puddle pads, breed-appropriate toys, and a worry-free pair of nail clippers are essential. Speaking of the latter, I highly recommend the Zen Clipper because you can adjust it to clip just the amount of nail you want, completely avoiding any pain or bleeding. Also great to invest in early on is a sturdy carrier for travel and trips to the vet. For cats, you’ll thank yourself a thousand times over by getting a self-cleaning litterbox for indoor-only pets.
- Healthy foods from the start. Cats and dogs are carnivores so aim for a diet that’s high in quality proteins, and not loaded with grains, preservatives and fillers. The old saying “you are what you eat” applies to animals as well as people, and pets on a premium diet will enjoy longer life and more vibrant health, as well as added benefits like brighter eyes and a good-looking coat. For pets with food sensitivities or allergies, check out a nutritious additive like Brutus Bone Broth.
- Know what to expect. Based on breed, age, etc. Kittens are really great at some things (learning to use the litterbox, for instance) and really exasperating when it comes to other (climbing up screens and furniture). You will save yourself so much frustration (and household damage) by learning what to expect in terms of your cat’s behavior, and what provisions to put in place. Any reliable cat care book or website you can consult will be worth the read.
- Supervise young children. There’s an exception to the above tip about socialization: little children. Far too many parents are lax about this, choosing to be reactive rather than proactive (i.e. “No, Emily, don’t yank the kitty’s tail.”) Sadly, I’ve even seen YouTube videos showing a parent who lets a child terrorize a pet, and then berate or hit the pet when it lashes out in anger! The better approach is to keep very young children away from your new pet unless you are there to fully supervise the interaction (i.e. catch your child before he grabs the tail). Your pets will thank you greatly for this more compassionate approach rather than allowing them to be a punching bag or teaching tool.
Tell me how YOU keep your pets happy and healthy in a comment below!
We rescued our cat as a stray kitten in a snowstorm. We keep her smiling by letting her sleep under the blankets with us.
These are great tips for getting started on the right track! Thanks!!
Playing is so important!!! Pet toys are too fun!!
My younger cat loves playing with pipe cleaners. My older cat likes treats.
I keep my dog happy and active by playing fetch with him! He loves it!
My favorite way to keep my dogs healthy, besides lots of protein, is by playing with them. They enjoy their toys more when they have interaction with their humans.
We rescued our cats when we lived in china and brought them back to the US with us. We keep them happy with string! They have very different personalities but they both love to play with string.
We keep the dogs smiling by letting them act like they own the house 😉
Our pup loves a belly rub
Ball, ropes and petting keep our pets smiling.
I play with my dog everyday. He has a favorite flag toy that he likes to play with.
We don’t have a cat yet, but plan to soon. My old cat smiled whenever I accidentally left any sweets out, especially a bag of marshmallows! This food would have been good for cleaning his ‘sweet tooth.’
We keep our cats smiling by playing with them. They love the laser pointer 🙂
Our two puppies love getting snuggles. They’ll curl up in the kid’s laps while they’re sitting at their computers, and both of them will climb up into the kid’s beds to sleep. It’s very cute!
i like to let our shar pei play outside where he is happiest
My cat is a born food lover. So my favorite way to get him engaged and loving life is throwing food. Yep, he LOVES to chase a piece of flying dry food down a hallway. I’ve yet to get him to fetch though haha.
My favorite way to keep my cats happy is by playing with them. They love new toys, catnip and interactive toys 🙂
Our cats loveg fresh cat nip on their blankets , buying them plenty of balls and crinkle toys to play with and being home most of the day to give them unlimited attention. I love my cats!!
We keep our cat happy by giving her pets and cuddles. she likes to be in everyone’s lap
I let him set on my lap and pet him
Love and attention so important!
Agree! Make sure they get proper nutrition, brushing their teeth, plenty of exercise and grooming them and vet check ups. along with plenty of love and kisses.
To keep Harley happy I give him lots of kisses and hugs. He loves to cuddle with me.
My dog had to have dental surgery and her breath is so much better and I know the severe pain she was in is now gone. Poor thing. I would love to try a high quality food that would improve their overall AND dental health!
She likes her food – but it has to be dry! She doesn’t like people too much so not much cuddling – she gets fed up with it and starts to bite!! She’s antisocial AND picky! Wish we could have gotten her at a younger age, because like you say they can learn more easily to socialize LOL
My pet is still a kitten, 7 months, and easy to keep happy so far. Lots of milk rings to play with and hands moving under the rug!
My dogs love to be groomed. And I would LOVE to try that safety clipper!
I can keep my dog smiling by keeping him clean, fed and warm.
Daily treats, play time and snuggling and HIGH quality food for a long life!
I keep my dog well-fed with lots of protein and well spoiled! 🙂
Keep the fur babies smiling with check ups and playing ,well fed with lots of hugs and kisses.
By letting my cat go outside for just a little bit. We have feral outside cats that we feed and a few left us pet them. If I could capture them I have a home all could go to.
I pet my dogs and cats to keep them and ME happy!
Investing in a good clipper and brush is a great idea – grooming from their earliest days is a good habit
By playing with him and keeping him fed and making sure his bed is clean.
We play alot with him and give him treats, food, and supplements. Bone broth sounds really great!
My favorite way to make my cat happy is by rubbing out foreheads together.
I keep her content with a bowl full of grain-free food!
Our puppies love treats and lots of cuddles! Glad we socialized them early
My favorite way to keep my cat healthy is to play with him and give him nutritous treats.
Speaking of treats, the Brutus Bone Broth mentioned in the post can be frozen in ice cube trays and given as a treat on a hot day! ~Anne Marie
I keep my cat happy and peaceful by giving her space when she needs it. Thanks for mentioning how little children have to be closely watched around them!!
Good organic food and lots of pet toys are vital
I can’t believe that some people let their kids mess with pets like that! Best way to keep my cat happy is to spoil him with love & affection. And I love to hear him purr!
My cats all love a good pampering session, they fight over who gets brushed next.
We chose a rescue dog that was younger so we could start early with training and good nutrition!
We turning on the cats laser light toy and rub his belly. And my dog needs a good quality bed. I love the “bed finder” feature at Muttropolis so you can find the right one for your dog’s breed and personality!!
Very good post. Oftentimes people adopt/but pets without giving any thought of the commitment behind owning a pet. I think it should be on the same level on planning for a baby. Otherwise you will set yourself up for failure. Which isn’t fair for the pet.