Cuddles and treats are so much fun, but loving your pet is about much more. The best way to show your pets you really care is by supporting their health and wellbeing every day. Use the guide below to help you give your best friends everything they deserve.
Diet and Hydration
Good nutrition is the foundation of a happy, healthy pet. The ideal diet supports your pet’s immune system, energy levels, and even their behaviour.
For dogs, high quality foods like Montego Classic offer naturally balanced nutrition with added vitamins and minerals. High protein will help build lean muscles and help your dogs maintain a healthy weight.
For cats, Hill’s Science Plan provides a balance of nutrients to support healthy digestion, shiny fur, lean muscles and a healthy immune system. Taurine is an essential amino acid to support the heart health, bladder and kidney function of cats and you can find just the right amount in Hill’s.
Pets that require extra hydration can benefit from a wet food diet, which you can read about here.
Exercise
Regular exercise keeps pets fit and mentally alert. You don’t need to spend hours at the park every day, but regular and consistent movement for your pets is important.
Dogs need daily walks to help de-stress, improve cardiovascular function and lower blood pressure. Invest in a good quality harness like the Rogz Utility Fast-Fit Harness, made to reduce chafing and hair matting.
While cats may not need a walk, they still need opportunities to move around and exercise their hunting instincts. Use a cat wand or a laser pointer to encourage stalking and leaping. Consider a cat tree like the Ragdoll 200 so your feline friends can climb and jump.
Mental Stimulation
A bored pet can become frustrated, anxious, or lethargic, but mental stimulation can reduce unwanted behaviours.
Make sure you have a mix of chew toys, treat balls and even puzzle feeders to keep your pets entertained, especially when you aren’t home with them. The LickiMat range of treat mats is a great way to offer mental stimulation to dogs and cats. Licking their favourite treats is a calming activity than can reduce anxiety and helps pets that gobble up their treats to slow down. The mats are also great for teething puppies that want to chew on everything in sight.
Safe Stimulation
Understanding the body language and behaviour of your pet is essential for keeping them happy. Just like people, no two pets are alike and everyone has different preferences. Some pets love a crowd and enjoy attention from strangers, while others prefer to be given space. Be aware of the environments you bring your pets into and help them feel secure wherever they go.
Take extra special care of your pets when small children are present. Never allow children to approach animals on their own, corner animals, ride on them or play rough. Children should also never be left unattended even with familiar with pets, because accidents can happen in seconds. Find more tips to navigate playtime between pets and children here.
Grooming
Keeping your pets well-groomed will help to keep them healthy. Regular brushing prevents matted fur which can lead to skin irritation. This is also a good way to check for fleas and ticks or skin conditions.
Bathing of pets should be handled with care by using the right products to suit their coat and skin. Develop a relationship with a nearby grooming parlour if you need some help and make regular bookings to keep nails clipped and coats clean. The Queen Grooming Parlour in Menlo Park, Pretoria is known for treating pets like royalty.
Caring for your pets means understanding their unique needs and supporting them with the right products and routine. Visit The Queen Pet Shop for more tips to help you love your pets in all the ways that matter.