4 Tips for Keeping Your Pet Happy

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As every pet owner can attest – having a pet is like having another member of the family. The animals we
share our homes and lives with forge strong connections with us, and we with them. We end up becoming
aware of their idiosyncrasies, and forging strong emotional bonds. And these bonds generally go both
ways – at least with certain types of pets.

After all, everyone's heard stories of faithful dogs who travelled hundreds of miles to find their lost
owners.

Bearing this in mind, it's only natural that we want our pets to not only be as healthy as possible, but also
as happy as possible, in our company. But of course, our pets can't tell us in so many words what it is that
makes them happy, and first-time pet owners may struggle with identifying the best ways to treat their
animal companions in order to make their lives as rich and fulfilling as possible.

So, on that note, here are a few simple primers for keeping your pet happy.

1. Look out for any irregular behaviour, as it might signal a health or mood issue

The longer you've had your pet for, the more you will come to recognise their normal quirks,
personalities, and behaviour patterns. It's important to keep an eye on how your pet is behaving from day
to day, because any irregular behaviour might signal a health or mood issue.

Generally, these sorts of behavioural anomalies will be the kinds of things you can spot from a mile off.
Sometimes, however, – especially when you are stressed at work, or are otherwise distracted – you can
miss some of the more subtle signs.

It might be that you could benefit from exploring new pet technology that helps you to track things like
your pet's sleep habits, heart rate, and activity levels. As a rule, though, you should "schedule" a
reasonable chunk of time each day to spend with your pet, so that you can pay attention to how they are
behaving, as well as to enjoy the company.

If you do notice any irregular behaviour on the part of your pet, consider taking them down to the vet for
a checkup.

2. Spend a good deal of time interacting with your pet – and provide opportunities for them to interact with other animals of their type

Almost all varieties of pets will bond with their owners, and will rely on interaction with their owners in
order to maintain good emotional health.

Some pets are more naturally social, and so will rely more heavily on this kind of direct interaction, in
order to be happy and feel fulfilled in life. Dogs are the classic example of this, being pack animals, and
needing a high degree of regular engagement and interaction with their owners. Dogs who are neglected
become depressed and agitated.

Aside from interaction with you, however, it's often important to provide regular opportunities for your
pets to interact with other animals of their type. This could mean taking your dog down to dog parks, or
getting a companion cat for your cat to interact with.

As mentioned a moment ago; not all animals that you might have as pets are equally social, but if in
doubt, it's good to err on the side of giving them companionship.

3. Feed your pet a diet that is as close as possible to their natural template

Many household pets become fat, in part because their owners indulge them by feeding them morsels from their plates at meal times. In fact, this can be extremely bad for pets, as many of the foods that we
enjoy are indigestible, and sometimes even poisonous, to animals.

Every animal has a natural diet template that is roughly what they evolved to eat – and even dogs, who
have been selectively bred for a long time, do much better on certain types of food than others.

In order to keep your pets as happy as possible, you should do what you can to feed them a diet that is as
close as possible to the natural template they are adapted to.

This isn't always cheap – but paying for more "luxurious" and carefully formulated foods will generally
make them a lot healthier, and make them feel better, than providing them with kibble.

4. Be sure to give your pet plenty of regular exercise

If you own a pet sloth, it probably doesn't need very much in the way of exercise. For most other pets,
though, ranging from hamsters to dogs and cats, a substantial amount of exercise is necessary for them to
be healthy, and to feel good.

Cats generally do a good job of exercising themselves if they are allowed to roam around. For dogs,
however, it's simply a duty of yours to take them for regular walks.