5 Ways We Can Shower Our Pets With Love💕

How to show our pets we love them.

What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens

I have two cats that I love very much. I know the things I do with them is time well spent; even if it’s simply doing nothing for the day. 😉

But when it comes to my pets’ well-being, I like to pay close attention to their wants and needs. I’ve gathered an essential list of things we enjoy doing to ensure they’re loved and taken care of.

So what does the list consist of?

We’re inclined to say “That’s easy! Feed them, interact with them, etc.”

But ensuring we have a healthy and happy pet that “smiles” back at us with love takes a bit more than the basics.

Here are the top five things to show love:

1. Not just feeding, we check up on their eating behavior

Just like for us humans, too much of anything can be bad, just like too little could too.

When pets eat too much we should be concerned with possible weight issues and health issues that may follow (diabetes, renal failure, etc.).

Likewise if we notice they’re eating too little and are tired, lethargic and/or uninterested. I find that monitoring their food intake helps. We learned to feed them periodically (about 3-4 times a day) so that they don’t disappear for long siestas all day and are awake all night! Whew!

Now that our boy, Pinty, is transitioning to adulthood, he gets less food in his bowl (sorry Pint’). But we do feed them human food on occasion (do adhere to the feeding guidelines posted on Katzenworld on what to feed and what to avoid!)

2. Not just filling their water bowl, we watch their drinking habits

Not enough drinking may be okay if they always eat wet food. But too much water drinking may signal dehydration (or worse). And this can be bad.

Recently, we bought some wet food and they seem more thirsty than usual… I already add water to their dry kibble before mixing it… So what’s the deal? Well, I noticed the cans cost less and upon closer inspection the sodium content is higher which, I think, is making them so incredibly thirsty. I can’t feed them anything which may cause health issues later.

So in the end, going for the economical cans of food higher in sodium isn’t worth it. I’m sticking to good cat food and filtered water. I learned most from Catster and the Nest.

3. Help their shedding by grooming regularly!

Pets in general will shed A LOT and will be shedding their entire lifetime, cats especially. This hair gets stuck on the carpet, rugs, vents, and fans throughout my house. Oh, yuk. The worst part is as kitties groom themselves they often cough up a hairball. Help prevent intestinal blockages in your kitty and improve the overall health of your pets by grooming them regularly.

We discovered with my first cat that brushing his coat helped remove all that dead hair, hence preventing him from getting hairballs. We have used a cat comb for years similar to this one. A good vacuum is always present at my house too!

4. Love on them by setting rules and sticking to them. 🙂

Yes, spoil them rotten. Petting, playing, new toys, scratching posts, fuzzy balls, toys galore, snacks, home-cooked chicken and shrimp/fish on occasion… The possibilities are endless… but this doesn’t mean they can break the rules. Stick to your guns and adhere to established house rules. We do. They’ll appreciate it and love you forever!