Taking Time

Ever wonder what it would be like to have lived in a time when there was no TV, internet, or cell phones? A time when things were simpler and people seemed less stress, healthier and even happier. It applies to pets as well.
Think of a wild animal’s routine: 

  • Get up early
  • Check that your territory is still in tact
  • Perhaps eat, perhaps not
  • Start to hunt
  • Break for some play time
  • Maybe nap, maybe hunt more
  • Eat if you’ve caught anything
  • Check territory again
  • Play time
  • Sleep

 Pretty simple, straight forward, yes? They get all they need to survive physically and mentally. Now let’s look at the typical urban house pet’s routine. 
  • Get up when owners rise
  • Watch as owners run around getting ready
  • Get tossed a bowl of food
  • Maybe get a short walk, maybe just get put outside
  • Check territory – not sure why because nothing ever changes
  • Get locked down for most of the day with no one to interact with
  • Get excited when owners come home but usually get shunned because owners are too tired
  • Watch owners eat
  • Get tossed another bowl of food
  • Get walked or just put outside
  • Go to bed 
Seems pretty mundane and just not that much fun. And we wonder why pets decide to eat couches and rip things to shreds while we are at work?! Here are few ideas to make your life AND your pet’s a bit healthier and happier. 
  • Take some time in the morning to interact with your pet.
  • Maybe eat breakfast at the same time you feed your pet.
  • Get up a bit earlier to take your pet for a nice walk so they can sniff the neighborhood or play with them!
  • Give them a toy to play with while you are gone
  • The Clever K-9
  • Kong Toys – stuff a few and leave them about the house (they make these for both dogs and cats!)
  • Automatic treat dispensers
  • If you have an answering machine, call home at some point during the day and say hi to your pet!
  • Leave the radio or TV on to break the silence.
  • When you come home, no matter how tired you are, act as though you have been away for ages and are so happy to see your pet. We all know that seeing our pets after a hard day makes things better but we sometimes forget to show it and our pets can’t read our minds. DO NOT ACT TOO EXCITED THIS MAY CAUSE SOME ADVERSE BEHAVIOR THAT YOU DO NOT WANT IN YOUR PET – JUMPING ON VISITORS, EXCITED URINATION, ETC.
  • Turn off the TV for an hour each night and really spend some quality time with your pet. They’ve been cooped up all day, missing the one person they love the most, one hour of your day is the least you can do. 

Taking a little time out of your schedule for your pets, not only helps them be healthier and happier, you just may find your stress level decrease and you will feel better as well.


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