The first full week of June marks Pet Appreciation week! This week, we should all take a little bit of extra time to appreciate every way our pets support us or bring fulfilment to our lives! And how can we do that, you ask?
Focus on your pet’s health.
We tend to lead busy lives, so why not take some extra time out of this week to focus on our pet’s health? That could mean starting to regularly brush your dog’s or cat’s teeth to help fight bad breath and gingivitis, and prevent dental diseases down the line. Or break out the brushes to help remove excess fur, work out any possible matting in the coat, and check the health of your pet’s skin and fur to see if you could make any dietary changes to further coat health and maintenance. For our scaley friends, focusing on their health could look like really dialing in the temperatures they need or getting a misting system to help hold a more stable grade of humidity. And finally, for our scaled friends that live underwater, maybe it’s time for a nice deep clean of their tank to remove excessive organics, maybe you can become more consistent with your water changes, or maybe do something as small as adding more frozen foods to their diet or upgrading to a more premium pellet or flake diet!
Spend more quality time with your pet.
Sometimes we don’t get a chance to spend as much time with our pets as they may like or appreciate. So, take some time out of your day to focus on them and give them some more TLC! Maybe that means taking an extra 20 minutes of cuddling up with them on the couch, getting out for that walk you’ve put off due to a long day at work, or spending some more time playing with them with their favourite toy. For our aquatic and scaled friends, just spending more time watching them and learning more about their behaviours, habits, and quirks can be a rewarding experience that will grow our appreciation for them!
Pampering and treats!
Another great way to show appreciation for your pet this week could be through pampering them. You could buy some new toys to replace any heavily damaged ones and give them something new and fresh to play with. If they enjoy baths, you could always treat them to their own little spa day as well! It could be time to splurge on those high-quality treats they get occasionally; they would absolutely appreciate a fresh Dino bone, or some freeze-dried sardines! You could also get some fresh sealed or freeze dried insects as a treat or a food that you can press on to the side of a tank for an enriching feeding experience as well as better observation opportunities for yourself!
We all love our pets dearly, and sometimes we just don’t have as much time as we need to fully show them what an integral part of our family they truly are! Use this week to give your pets that extra bit of TLC. We can also use this time to reflect on how we could further improve our care for them and start building habits to provide a better life for our pets and improve our bond with them!
