6 Key Traits Of A Good Responsible Pet Parent
Whether you share your life with a cat, a dog, multiple cats and dogs or a mixture of both, do you know the traits of a good responsible pet parent? This isn’t a trick question by any means.
Caring for dogs and/or cats is a big responsibility and if you’re a new pet parent you may wonder what the traits of a good pet parent are.
We have rounded up a few for your consideration.
Learn The Responsibility Of Caring For A Pet
You are responsible. Caring for a pet means putting his or her needs before your own. No more weekends away at the spur of the moment, unless you have a responsible, reliable family member or pet sitter lined up. You look forward to getting home after work because you know your pet will be there to snuggle with you.
Become a Saver and Share Your Space
You become a saver. When you have a pet you know you have to save for veterinary visits and emergency health issues that may arise. You learn to set aside money regularly to assure your pet will receive the care he needs.
You learn to share your space. In other words, you’re no longer selfish when it comes to sleeping in the entire bed yourself. You are happy with a sliver of the bed as long as your cat or dog is comfortable you will sleep in an uncomfortable position so you don’t disturb them. Do they need to be constantly on your lap? You’re all right with that, too.
Be the Best Version of Yourself
You find yourself talking about them all the time. If you’re an empty nester, you may find your phone is full of pet photos. Even if you have young children, you will likely be showing people pictures of your children and your pets together. They are a package deal, after all!
Your pet always has the best – the best food, clothing, bedding – you name it. You’re willing to eat ramen as long as Fluffy and Fido are well taken care of. Just as you’d make certain your human children had their needs met first, you’re also doing the same with your furry children.
You may learn to cook. If your pet has a health issue and requires a unique diet, you may find yourself in the kitchen trying out recipes for her meals. You may also enjoy being in the kitchen baking your pets healthy, organic ingredients rather than relying on store bought treats.
Learn To Have Patience With Your Pets
You learn patience. Sharing your life with a dog or cat means you need to be patient. You will have to have patience to housetrain your puppy. You will need patience when you’re trying to sleep and your cat is attacking your toes. You will have to understand, if you adopt a shelter dog or cat, they may need more love and attention because they are afraid -- this means more hugs, pats and accepting kisses from them.
Avoid Common Pet Parent Mistakes
You will definitely want to avoid these pet parent mistakes:
- Getting a dog or cat without truly putting thought into the responsibility and that it is a relationship for a life time.
- Not training your puppy or kitten
- Being inconsistent with training. If your dog isn’t allowed to chew shoes on Monday, he shouldn’t be allowed to do that on a Tuesday, either. If your cat shouldn’t scratch the couch on a Wednesday, you shouldn’t allow him to do it on a Thursday. You get where we are going here, right?
- Giving too many treats. This can lead to obesity.
- Not giving your dog or cat regular exercise
- Not introducing your puppy or kitten to other humans and other dogs or cats. Socialization is necessary for your pet.
- Not making your home pet-friendly. Just as you would “baby proof” for a toddler, so too do you need to puppy or kitten-proof the house. This could mean putting up our door shields so your puppy or dog doesn’t destroy the door frame. It could mean using our furniture shield to protect your furniture from your cats’ claws. Remember, scratching is instinctual behavior for all cats – it’s up to the pet parent to give the cat a place to do what comes naturally!
Accept The Responsibility Of Being Parent To A Pet
Being a pet parent is a responsibility that will pay back rewards in puppy kisses and kitten snuggles and you will have a life long companion as your puppy and kitten grow old!
Can you remember life before you became a pet parent? Once you have begun sharing your life with a cat or dog you simply cannot imagine not having them there to greet you when you come home. Now that you’ve been a pet parent you may find you’ve developed some of these unique traits.
CLAWGUARD builds shields that help protect homes from damage caused by dogs and cats. Products include door shields, couch guards, and universal protective tape that protects commonly scratched areas like window sills, furniture, banisters, weatherstripping and more. CLAWGUARD products relieve pet owner anxiety.
