New Year’s Resolutions…for Pets!

It’s the start of a new year. Many see it as a new beginning; a chance to start with a clean slate, reflect on the good and bad of the previous year, and look ahead with excitement for what’s to come. This is why everyone starts to think about “New Year’s Resolutions.” But have you ever thought about a new year’s resolution for your pet?

Now, let me first state I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. I mean let’s face it, from numerous sources you can see that 80% of resolutions fail. Eighty percent!!! That means the population as a whole gets a grade of 20….not good. As to why so many resolutions fail there are numerous theories. Some people set goals which are too unrealistic, some set a goal they truly don’t want to work toward, some make too many changes all at once which makes them stop, etc. Whatever the reason, it seems it’s hard to keep these resolutions. So, if I’m not big on resolutions, and we rarely keep them, why am I writing an article and doing a video on New Year’s resolutions for pets??

Because I do think it’s important to take time to analyze our relationship with our pets and the lifestyle of our pets. What better time to do it than at the start of the new year when people are looking to make changes? So how do we keep our resolution. I’ve heard some analysts and psychologist’s take on this and the common thread is we need to not focus on the end goal entirely. We need to focus on the steps to get there. For example: instead of looking at a goal of weight loss, we look at what steps does a person wanting to lose weight take? Or: What actions does a person who works out take? When looking at our pet the first question can be what goal do I want for me pet, but then we must follow it with what steps can I easily take to get there?

Your pet is a member of your family and they are dependent on you for everything (food, shelter, a place to go to the bathroom, sleep, etc.). It makes sense that they’re going to rely on you and they’re going to need your help to know what resolution you both need to work toward. This isn’t a resolution to just improve your pet’s life but it’s also to improve you as a pet parent. So what is it you want to work on with your pet? Here’s just a few ideas:

Resolution Ideas

Let’s take a look at possible resolutions for you and your pet:

• More playtime and exercise for dogs and cats
• A better diet for my pet and see how this changes their attitude and health
• More training for my dog or cat
• Ensuring my pet is on consistent flea/tick and heartworm prevention
• Weight loss (around 65% of pets in the US are overweight)
• Daily interaction with each of my pets (no favorites!)
• Mental stimulation for my pets (healthy in mind and body)
• Socializing my dog or cat
• Keeping my pet’s nails trimmed
• etc.

As you can see the list could continue on and on and on depending on what your specific goal is for your pet. But what we can’t do is get frustrated or turn away when we start to struggle. You’re dealing with a living creature who has their own mindset and own desires. Dogs and cats get very very used to a routine and it can be a challenge to change this routine, so you have to start slowly. If your dog isn’t used to long walks, start with a brief walk up and down the street then increase the distance over time. Your cat may not be used to interacting with other people, so don’t bring over a crowd of people for a “meet my cat party.” Start with one new person a week and slowly increase the interaction. I think you get the idea, but again this is about small steps you can take to reach a goal. Small steps to change who you are as a pet parent and slowly improve the life of your pets.

Let’s not necessarily look at this as a New Year’s resolution and nothing else. Let’s look at it as, “How can I improve my furry friend’s life this year?” “How can I improve my relationship with my pet?” There are so many small things we can achieve, and the healthier your relationship is with your pet the stronger the bond becomes. They really do become a part of your family.

So, from Pet Doc Sherlock we wish you a and your pets a Happy, Healthy New Year!!