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New Year's Pawsitive Resolutions!

New Year's Resolutions Inspiration for Pet Parents

I hope you all were able to enjoy some cosy holidays and had a nice transition into 2021.

Overall, we can say we survived 2020! 2020 was a strange year, very difficult to most, but we all got our positive learnings and takeaways from it.

We are happy to start 2021 strong and overall make it a better year for our furry ones too!

Here I wrote some great new year resolutions that can serve as inspiration for many of you pet parents. Happy new year and new beginnings! May this year be a pawesome one!

1. Food Intake Measure

When it comes to weight and pets, this should never be overlooked. Keeping your pet’s weight is very important in oder for them to keep active and avoid contracting diseases. Overweight problems and obesity is the biggest pet health and welfare concern. Measuring your pet’s food accurately is the first step to take to prevent overfeeding.

2. More Exercise & Find a New Activity

When it comes to health and weight control, diet is only a part of this problem and in order to maintain or lose weight, exercise and activity is also necessary in order to meet these goals.

Make it as a goal for you as well as your pet. If you are a dog owner, the average amount of calories usually burnt when walking your dog for 1 hour is 205 calories, isn't that great?! Make that also as a pet owner goal for you to stay fit and have some active time outside while breathing some fresh air. Keep in mind the more active your pet will be outside, the better sleep they will get and the healthier lifestyle you will both achieve.

If you find an activity that you love and it also happens that it could be something your pet would also love, then awesome! You’ll both have great fun and achieve your goal of getting more exercise too! From doga to hiking, swimming to kayaking, there are numerous of activities that can be done with your pet!

3. Swap Screen Time for Playtime

It is very seldom to walk a cat, so cats will need other type of physical activity specially if it is an indoor cat. Indoor cat owners in this case should invest more time playing with their cats inside their homes.

The more time you dedicate to play and keep your pets active, the better sleep they will get. This will not only improve their health, but will also strengthen your connection with your furry one since they appreciate the interaction and attention.

Cats love the thrill of chasing a laser toy and toys that trigger a cat’s predatory instinct are a great way to get them off the couch and engaged in a little aerobic activity.

4. Regular Visits to the Vet

Have your veterinarian examine your pet at least once a year to make sure he or she is healthy in order to help detect any potential problems early.

Sometimes we think our pets are doing ok, but we do not know if they might be experiencing mild pain or the beginning of a disease, so to keep that controlled it is recommended to have 1-2 visits to the vet per year for normal check-ups.

Regular check-ups is also a sign of love and care for your pet. A pet is a 10-20 year responsibility & compromise and this includes taking care of their health.

5. Pet Meditation

We are all very busy nowadays. So incorporating our pet into our self-care routine is a a thoughtful way to improve both your and your pet’s wellness.

Try committing to meditating at least a few minutes a day. Mindful mediation can actually help lessen feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. The stress hormone cortisol could be reduced through just 10 minutes of stroking a pet, so try incorporating your dog or cat into your new meditation practice. Try doing it every day at the same time so it becomes a routine.

If you are a cat owner, the purring vibrations are also proven to improve the human heart condition. So start taking 10 minutes of your day to meditate while cuddling with your pet.

That is not only a healthy self-care practice, but it strengthens your relationship & bond with your pet.

6. More Grooming

Another way of showing how much you love your pet is through grooming.

Why is grooming is so important?

A. It helps removes excess fur from the coat and so reduces the amount you find on your clothes and furniture.

B. It helps to distribute oils from the skin to the fur, keeping the coat shiny and healthy.

C. Most pets love to be groomed.

D. It is a strong bonding activity that demonstrates your pet how much you love them.

7. Improve your Pet-Friendly Home Environment

Since our pets spend most time at home or in the garden, we should do our best to build them safe, entertaining places to rest and play.

A. Make sure all potentially harmful substances (such as cleaning products and medications) are kept in cabinets that your pet cannot easily reach and access.

B. Make sure to do your research and only have pet-friendly plants inside your home in order to avoid your pets getting sick or poisoned.

C. Make sure your pets have enough space to play inside your home as well as hiding spots where they can use for rest and sleep. It is very important to keep a pet-friendly home environment to protect your pets from harmful substances, accidents and help them enjoy an adventurous, fun and safe home environment for them to enjoy.

8. Seek more Natural Products for a Better Life

Just as it is the case for humans, a more holistic and natural approach to caring for your pets is becoming ever more beneficial in today’s modern society.

Checking out all the possibilities for more natural ways of diet and nutrition, supplements, herbal and homeopathic formulas, physiotherapy, acupuncture and more can contribute to us achieving our ultimate goal of improving our loyal companions’ quality of life.

9. DIY Pet Projects

Either we are talking about home-cooked meals, DIY treats for your furry ones or DIY toys for them, all of these projects are a gesture of love and effort to show your pet you care.

Learn new DIY projects this year to become the best pet parent you can be!

“Be the person your pet thinks you are”

This can be the perfect phrase to motivate you to be crafty this year and try some DIY projects for your furry friend. This cutie is eating and enjoying a DIY home-made pupcake.

- Marcela Checa-Sauermann Pets Ahoi Founder

10. Improve your Knowledge on Pet First Aid

We all want our pets to be healthy and keep them for as long as possible. But sometimes it is not all in our hands. We should also be prepared for unexpected situations like accidents, pets swallowing harmful substances and be aware of what we should do as a pet parent to improve the probability of survival before and after the vet emergency visit.

At Pets Ahoi we are developing an amazing project in collaboration with vets and professionals in the pet industry and will hopefully have our project live by autumn this year. We are so excited about it! So stay tuned!

I hope these New Year’s Pet Resolutions inspired you to be the best pet parent you can be and motivate you to apply some of them to your daily life this year.

Wish you all pet parents and pet lovers a great start of the year! 🎉