Many of us create a shortlist of New Year’s resolutions with the hopes that we’ll improve ourselves in some ways, like exercising more or eating less sugar. If you own a pet, you shouldn’t exclude them from your resolutions! In fact, they can help you achieve your goals in ways you may not have thought of. For example, making a resolution to walk your dog for at least 15 minutes every single day, rain or shine will help you get more exercise!
So consider your dog with your New Year’s resolutions, and bring your cat in with fun too. Here are a few resolutions we at Acoma Animal Clinic vowed to do in 2022.
New Year Resolutions for All Pet Owners
Healthier Diet and Treats
Some diets are not fit for some pets. For example, an all-wet food diet may be filled with great nutrients and organic ingredients, but your cat and dog need something hard to crunch on. Hard food and treats help clean and strengthen your dog’s and your cat’s teeth. This is especially true for cats, who often do not allow their owners to clean their teeth.
Beyond that, age and breeds matter a lot with diets and treats. Ask your veterinarian for food recommendations appropriate for your pet’s species, age, breed and lifestyle. Feed the recommended amount, and limit treats to small goodies in limited portions.
For dogs, you can add carrots (they love the crunch) and blueberries to their diet as fun treats. For cats though, stick with your vet’s advice and avoid giving them human food.
Take Care of Their Teeth
Speaking of their dental health, you should schedule a teeth cleaning appointment with your vet and add some enzymatic chews to help keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy between veterinary cleanings.
Enroll in Pet Insurance
Pets of all species, ages, breeds, and make should be enrolled in a pet insurance plan. Though we hope it nevers happens, you never know when disaster may strike. Your cat may land wrong and break their paw, your dog could tear their ACL, your lizard may get sick, and your ferret may eat something that it shouldn’t have. All of these things happen and all of them add up to costly vet bills.
Protect your finances and your pet with pet insurance. You’ll be glad you did!
New Year Resolutions for Dog Owners
Walk Dogs Daily
Every dog needs some form of physical exercise each and every day. Taking them on daily walks is a great low-impact exercise that not only helps improve their physical health but their mental health as well. Your dog experiences new smells and sights on walks that help keep their brain sharp, even in old age.
On top of that, it gets you moving too!
Feed Them Less Table Scraps
It might be tempting to give your dog a treat off the table now and then, but it’s not a healthy habit for your dog. Not only will they associate you eating with treat time, but they may start to pack on some extra weight or eat something they shouldn’t have.
Thousands of claims are filed with Nationwide every year after pets get hold of toxic substances and food they may have thought was a treat off the table. You can prevent this by minimizing their begging and training them to stop labeling your food as their food.
Attend Training or Obedience Classes
Your dog might be well behaved and know a few tricks, but training and obedient classes are for every pup out there! Many dogs enjoy the challenges and many owners enjoy the new bonding exercises.
Additionally, training experts recommend a refresher course every couple of years.
New Year Resolutions for Cat Owners Owners
Spend More Quality Time with Your Cat
Cats are social animals! Though it may seem like they like to keep to themselves and nap (and some do), many of them crave your attention too. Cats are creatures of habit, which means they often like to seek affection around the same time every day. Make sure you carve out some time to give them that well-deserved love!
Schedule a Photo Shoot with Your Cat
Dogs get this treatment, so why can’t cats? Be warned though, this resolution is for a very specific type of cat — one that is okay with strangers and cameras. You might think this is a costly resolution but you might be surprised by how many affordable pet photographers are out there. Many even offer discounted mini sessions for you and your companion. You’ll treasure the photos for a lifetime.
Schedule More Playtime into their Routine
Cats love to play, but on their own time. Not all cats have the same amount of energy to give — some senior cats are content to laze around most days — but all of them want to play on occasion. Try a few times during the day to entice them with their toys and watch their body language. If their pupils get big, if they crouch down, or if they look like they’re about to pounce, then they want to play!
Keep in mind that some cats play “hard to get” too. They may start to play and then stop to groom themselves. This is common predator behavior. They’re not done playing, they are simply making their prey feel a false sense of security! Keep it up for a few more minutes to see if they are truly disinterested, or just being a cat.
From us at Acoma Veterinary Clinic, Happy Near Year! We hope yours and your pets’ 2022 is filled with joy and a lot of good memories! If you need to schedule their annual checkup to make sure 2022 is great, give us a call or visit us online. We’ll be happy to help!
