Pet Ownership And How To Be A Responsible Pet Parent
Being a responsible pet parent is serious business! Our team explores what it means to own a pet and provides 5 questions to ask before adopting a pet along with 4 key home scratch protection products to help train your pet while protecting your home and your pets claws and teeth.
The sheer delight of a wagging tail or the soft purr of a sweet kitten are sights and sounds that soften the harder facts of life on Mother Earth.
Owning and caring for a beloved pet is serious business, albeit one which reaps many precious rewards.
Both owners and pets have experienced centuries of mutual love and understanding dating back to the days when the world was young.
Early human cultures were first exposed to canines when wolves scavenged their food, which eventually resulted in their domestication and transformation into a source for warmth, companionship, hunting and gathering.
Human contact with cats also began with a quest for food scraps, which soon turned into an alliance of mutual need fed by their indispensable function as “mousers.”
Dogs particularly, but also cats, offer both physical and emotional benefits to the human psyche.
Studies have indicated that their unconditional love soothes troubled spirits, reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
Having a pet also encourages socialization, as there is little that attracts more attention than the sight of a human walking an adorable puppy down a city street or park path.
Being a good pet parent also means finding ways to protect precious furniture and other items from their claws, paws and teeth.
Time, patience and love are prerequisites here aided by the highly effective anti-scratch products created by CLAWGUARD.
What it Means To Be A Pet Parent
While the first formal research concerning the psychological benefits of animal therapy did not occur until the 1960s, it was famed 19th century nurse, Florence Nightingale, who first recognized that the presence of animals reduced anxiety and increased relaxation levels in both children and adults.
We have seen in modern prisons how caring for horses softens the bruised and hardened humanity in many prison inmates, even some who have committed terrible crimes.
It stems from a human being knowing that a living thing relies on them. It is a lesson in respect for life, commitment, empathy, consistency and responsibility that no textbook or manual could ever come close to teaching.
A Few Relevant Statistics About Pet Parents And Ownership
Surprisingly, most American households have at least one pet. According to the American Heart Association, dog owners are 54% more likely to get the required daily amount of exercise than non dog owners.
This is because in order to accommodate their animal’s lifestyle, they are forced to indulge in more activity.
This can also result in developing a stronger immune system that arises from being exposed to pet fur and dandruff, and it encourages a decrease in stress levels, which can lower the risks to develop heart disease.
A 2012 study indicated that 87% of cat owners believed that their cat had a positive effect on their well being, and 76 percent indicated that owning a cat made them feel better about life in general.
According to researcher, Dr. Kristyn Vitale: “Studies have found that interacting with your cat can improve negative feelings, like fear and anxiety. Other research shows that interacting with your cat can be a source of comfort…Having a creature that depends on you for their feeding and care can help to create routine and sense of purpose. Do focus on strengthening the bond. Just like humans, cats have preferences. Some like being petted, while others prefer spending time next to you. Play with your cat using toys, brush the animal, pet her or just to talk to her and see what the cat likes best.”
5 Questions To Consider When Adopting A Pet
Shelters are laden with animals that were loved and wanted at one time and then neglected or abandoned because the demands of being a pet parent became too difficult to bear for whatever reason.
Adopting and pet ownership is an enormous step that will affect both the animal’s and the owner’s life for years to come. With good care, dogs can live for 12 to 15 years and cats from 15 to 20. That’s a long time.
Pet owners must also prepare their homes for a new animal and this means protecting their furniture and other precious items with CLAWGUARD anti-scratch products.
Some questions to answer before adoption should include:
What Major Future Changes Might Occur In Your Life?
Although life has its twists and unexpected turns, and no one can predict the future, you have to consider what things may happen in the course of the pet’s lifetime before adoption.
If you plan marriage or long distance moves and setting up a family, ask yourself it you are willing to continue spending time, energy and money to care for your pet while assuming new responsibilities.
Does a Dog Or A Cat Fit Your Particular Lifestyle?
Dogs need to be walked in all types of weather several times a day.
If you work in an office with a long commute and there’s no one to walk the dog at home, this is obviously not going to work out without some planning.
If you work in an office with a long commute and there’s no one to walk the dog at home, this is obviously not going to work out without some planning.
Do you have the time to spend with a cat? They need socialization and even though some may be friendlier than others, they do need some interaction with their humans in order to thrive.
Are You Thinking of Getting A Pet For Your Children?
If this is the case, will you assume responsibility for this pet after your children grow up and move away?
How Will You Deal With Pet Behavioral Issues?
You must be realistic and understand that just like our beloved children, no pet will behave perfectly all the time. It is important to think about what you might do when issues arise rather than wait and react in the moment.
Dogs need training and reinforcement, and cats can act out as well, tearing an expensive sofa or couch to shreds and peeing all over your house.
CLAWGUARD anti-scratch tapes, furniture, door and window sill protectors are a great help here, and they are guaranteed to protect your precious items from pet claws and teeth.
What Happens When Pet Parent's Go On Vacation?
Once in a while, everyone needs a vacation, and sometimes it happens on the spur of the moment.
You must plan for this ahead of time even if there is little notice. Ask other pet owners if they can recommend a pet sitting service or better, ask an animal-loving friend to help and buy him or her a nice gift in appreciation.
Tools To Help Pet Parents Protect The Home & Train A Pet
You have brought your new pet home and the animal is adjusting to its new family and environment, but showing signs of destructive behavior that may be giving you second thoughts about your decision to adopt.
Don’t despair! Hope and help is on the way with our anti-scratch training tools, which we’re recently featured on Daytime with Kristine Levine of Pet Living.
Below is more information on a few of our available products that help protect your home and your pets claws and teeth and aid in helping to make you a more responsible pet parent!
Anti-Scratch Deterrent Training Tape
Meticulously tested against the powerful claws of our cats and dogs and easily installed, this single-sided tape serves as a formidable obstacle for window sills, car door interiors, couches, weather stripping and others.
It can be cut to size easily with a pair of household scissors.
Constructed from superior materials that ensure quality and stability, this adhesive is the best that can be found anywhere within the pet product industry.
Constructed from superior materials that ensure quality and stability, this adhesive is the best that can be found anywhere within the pet product industry.
Cat Scratch Furniture Guards — Protect Precious Furniture
Double-sided, this transparent adhesive is specifically designed to deter cats from clawing, scratching and celebrating some animal holiday on your expensive sofas, cabinets, beds, drapes, screens and other vulnerable areas.
They train as well as deter at the same time, which makes them ideal for dealing with destructive behavior. In the words of Kevin Dixon, founder of CLAWGUARD:”
These shields offer the fastest and safest way to protect any type of interior…They are made without any sticky layering, and the built in dispenser helps with seamless application and storage… We offer a money back guarantee on all our products.”
Heavy Duty Door Shields - Protect Doors From Claws And Teeth
It can be very costly to repair the unsightly damage caused by paws and teeth to exposed doors, walls, door frames and drywall. In addition, pets can also suffer damage to both their paws and irritation to their teeth.
Our heavy duty door shields have been around for a while, but they are stronger and more expansive versions of an earlier product by the same name.
These extremely efficient barriers are frosted and clear, and they will blend seamlessly into any home decor.
Constructed from the most cutting edge, superior quality plastic available anywhere, they are proudly and sustainably made within the United States of America.
Furniture Shields - Durable And Flexible Protection
Invisible to the naked eye and made from the highest grade of materials available, our furniture shields protect the exposed contours of sofas, couches, chairs etc from the onslaught of pet chaws and teeth.
Their construction from marine grade vinyl is superior and more sustainable than standard vinyl, offering UV protection to prevent colors from deteriorating and anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives, which prevent the development of mildew.
In Conclusion
Embrace responsible pet ownership! Just be sure to get some protection for your treasured furniture, windows and doors and your adorable pet, so you can maintain that loving bond that first brought you together!
