National Pet Month – responsible pet ownership

This month is National Pet Month which helps to recognise and raise awareness of responsible pet ownership. As a nation of pet owners, lockdown and the pandemic have increased the UK’s love for pets, with a recent estimate by Pet Gazette saying there are over 34 million pets in the UK!

So let’s celebrate our pets!

We adore our pets, we have two Guinea Pigs, Flash and Boris, who both featured in my last blog, three cats with their own personalities, like Fluffy the mysterious wonder, a fish pond in our garden, also Dylan the dog and our new rabbits Mia and Murphy. All of them have come from charities or as rescue pets, sometimes from my work as a veterinary nurse. Would we be without them? No way! They are part of our family, involved in all our memories especially my son, who, now at the age of 8 who helps out with them all from feeding to grooming, walking to cleaning. He loves the noises the Guinea Pigs make and all these pets help with understanding important life lessons.

Benefits of having pets

I’ve previously written about how children growing up benefit from pets, from talking to them to improve confidence to helping reduce allergies, anxiety, and stress, ultimately making them happier. This is also true for adults, having pets lowers your blood pressure, gives you a reason to exercise, keep fit or socialise, and helps combat feeling alone.

Being responsible

Having a pet is hard, time-consuming, and expensive. A commitment that can last from a few years to over a decade. As a pet owner, you need to ensure your pet’s needs are being met to ensure they are healthy and happy. Consider the following;

• Vet care – where is your local vet and can you cover expenses if they get injured or suffer an illness? The majority of pets also need spaying or neutering and vaccinations, so you will need to attend to the vets at least every few months.
• Pet Insurance – insurance cover ranges depending on the type of pet, its age, and preexisting health issues. Shop around using comparison websites to get a deal to suit you and your pet, they can be very handy if your pet gets injured accidentally.
• Food and a Roof – Different pets require a varied diet, you may even need to source specialist food. They also need access to water both to drink and wash and shelter, away from dangers such as poisonous plants or small children. Ideally, they all need their own spaces whether it’s an outdoor run, cat tree, or dog bed.
• Identification – If you have a pet dog or cat they need to be micro-chipped. This can be easily done and a database will store your details making it easier to find your pet and be reunited. I can offer this service if your pet would prefer a home visit [LINK Services]
• Time – can you give time to your pet for exercise, grooming, playing, washing, cleaning their litter or hutch? This is just as important as spending time with them to get to know them, love them, and enrich their lives.

Share your #PETPAWSITIVITY stories for #NationalPetMonth on my Facebook page or Instagram.