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Do you love to spoil your pet and make your pet’s happiness a top priority? If so, then you’re definitely not alone among pet parents worldwide.
According to recent polls, 62 percent of pet parents say their top priority is their pets’ happiness, and 82 percent of pet parents plan to spoil their pets. But love and happiness involve more than just pampering and also extend to being more proactive about your pet’s health. In fact, 93 percent of pet parents polled said they want to ensure their pet is healthy, and 79 percent wish they knew more about their pet’s health for preventative care.
To help you understand what makes dogs happy and how to make a cat happy, here are some simple tips to ensure you have happy pets.
1. Spend Enough Quality Time Together
Most pets have a fairly simple list of needs and wants, and spending time with you is at the top of that list. Spoiling your dog can involve playing fetch outside, going on a long walk together, or cuddling on the couch. Cats need quality time with you too, which you can spend during a grooming session or playing with a new toy.
2. Think Outside the Box with Treats
A reliable strategy for how to make your dog happy is to give treats, but there are many types of treats that go beyond just the pre-packaged snacks you find in stores. Treats can come in the form of toys, clothing, furniture, and even extra love and snuggles. You can also have a happy pet by providing homemade treats or a special recipe that you make with high-quality, pet-safe ingredients.
3. Choose High-Quality Pet Food and Treats
Speaking of treats and food, you can also show your pet that you care by providing high-quality meals and snacks every day. Talk with your veterinarian about the recommended pet foods and treats to buy or make based on your pet’s breed, age, activity level, preferences, and dietary sensitivities.
4. Practice Better Preventative Care
However, one of the best ways to keep your pet happy is to be proactive about preventative care so that your dog or cat stays healthy. This includes keeping up with wellness screenings, examinations, and good nutrition.
Many happy pets have pet insurance through Healthy Paws so that they can get the care they need no matter what happens. We offer top-rated cat insurance and dog insurance plans to cover accidents, illnesses, emergency care, genetic and hereditary conditions, breed-specific conditions, cancer, and alternative care.
5. Build In Pet Socialization Time
Even if you are your pet’s favorite person in the world, there are still benefits to socialization time with other people and animals. Consider arranging a play date with the pet of a friend or neighbor to switch up your normal routine. You can also go to a dog park, invite human guests over to your house, sit outside on a pet-friendly restaurant patio, or spend an afternoon playing together in a local park.
6. Make Training Rewarding and Fun
Training can sometimes feel like a lot of hard work – and it is! But you can also make training sessions more rewarding with healthy treats, lots of praise, and fun opportunities to get out and try new things. Happy pets are well-behaved pets who understand their boundaries, and roles in a family, and who receive unconditional love and patience during training sessions.
7. Make Pets a Real Part of the Family
Another suggestion for how to make a dog or cat happy is to really include them in family activities rather than leaving them alone. Most pets prefer to be close to their human companions, so make them a real part of the family in every way possible. For example, you can dress your pet up with the rest of the family for holiday photos, let your pet ride along in the car when you run errands (when the weather isn’t too hot!), or take your pet on vacation with you.
Sometimes even the simplest gestures can make pets happy and enjoy every single minute of life with you.
