Category: Pet Care

Sensory experiences for pet stimulation

Sensory activities pets

Animals use their sense of smell, touch, taste and sound to learn about their surroundings, find food, hunt, play and more. Their senses are attuned to their environments and just like humans, engaging the senses of our pet pals in various ways helps keep their minds engaged and sharp.

There are various ways to engage your pet’s senses. Many of which you may already do. Here are a few ideas to spark your pet’s imagination.

Sight:

Bright colours and moving objects are ideal forms of visual stimulation that will capture your pet’s attention. Interactive toys such as laser pointers for cats or the humble bouncy ball for dogs can serve as visual stimulation for your pet. Colourful bedding and toys not only add a splash of colour to your pet’s special space, it can also attract their gaze and intrigue.

Sound:

Pitch, volume and different noises serve as auditory stimulation for your pet. Many pet parents leave the radio on for their pet pal during the day for familiarity. Music and audiobooks can be another good source of auditory stimulation throughout the day. When a calming mood is needed, sounds of nature help soothe our fur friends.

Touch:

Our pet pals are always eager for a cuddle or a roll around in the backyard. Human touch plays an important role in providing a stimulating experience, in addition to strengthening our bond with our animal companions. Other ways to offer tactile stimulation for our pets include providing bedding or play mats with different textures.

Taste:

Feeding does more than fill our pet’s tummies. It is also an opportunity to engage their sense of taste. Treats and food puzzles make mealtime fun and engaging. Food puzzles also help challenge pets and engage their minds to work for their food. Offering a variety of flavours and textures during mealtimes is another exciting way to engage your pet’s sense of taste.

Smell:

Animals have a very powerful sense of smell. Scented toys can be used to intrigue or soothe your pet. Hiding treats for your pet to find using their sense of smell is also a clever way of keeping them stimulated.

Providing our pet pals with sensory experiences will help keep their minds and bodies active and engaged. Remember to suit the activity to your pet’s unique needs, age and breed. With a little time and thought, offering sensory experiences will enhance your pet’s environment and enrich their life, health and happiness.

For the times you can’t be there with your pet pal, engage a live-in pet sitter to provide sensory stimulation for your doggo or kitty while you’re away.

 

Sensible snake care

Snake care

Their slithery scales and forked tongues may make many of us squeamish, but their cleanliness and easy maintenance make snakes ss-sensational pets.

Around 3% of Australian households play home to pet reptiles with an estimated 538,000 pet reptiles dotted across the country. Snakes are the top choice for reptile lovers with 36% of reptile owners welcoming one – or more! – into their home.

As the most popular reptilian pet amongst Aussies, let’s sense-check our skills in caring for our slithery snake friends to ensure their happiness and everyone’s safety. Continue reading “Sensible snake care”

Pawesome winter warming ideas

pets in winter

As the winter chill begins to set in, it’s important to care for our pet pals’ comfort, health and safety needs as the temperature drops. Whether you have a playful pup, a curious cat, or a cuddly bunny, here are some tips to keep your beloved pets warm and cozy this winter.

The comforts of a warm bed

Blankets that pets can snuggle into will help insulate pet pals from the cold. Adding pillows or old towels to their sleeping quarters will help cushion their bodies and provide an extra layer of protection against the chill of the ground. Continue reading “Pawesome winter warming ideas”

Minding our pet’s mental wellbeing

pet health

We’ve all read the stats and facts that our pets boost our mood, improve our health and bring positivity to our lives. Now it’s time to turn the tables to consider the well-being of our pets and ways we can support them to thrive in life.

As pet parents and carers, we often look to the physical wellness of our pets, rather than dicing a little deeper to see what else could be happening under the surface. Continue reading “Minding our pet’s mental wellbeing”

Pet preparedness: How to pack an emergency kit for your pet

Pet emergency

The best laid plans can change in and instant. Preparing for unexpected situations will ensure fur friends have all the essentials they need for their wellbeing. Check out these tips on how to create an emergency kit for pets.

Container or backpack – Decide on how you are going to store the pet essentials. If you’re home or region is prone to flooding, high moisture or wet conditions, a waterproof container may be a good option. For easy transport in an emergency, a backpack always works well. Consider all the items that you may want to carry during an emergency, and decide on the most suitable option for you and your pet. Continue reading “Pet preparedness: How to pack an emergency kit for your pet”

Garden tips for the green paw

Pet Garden Safety

Garden tips for the green paw

If you like spending time in the garden, there’s a chance your pet pal might also consider themselves a green paw. Here are tips on garden maintenance to help you spruce up the green life and keep your fur friend safe and happy.

  • Know your garden: Become familiar with the different varieties of plants and flowers growing in your garden. Many common garden plants, such as lilies, azaleas, and tulips, can be toxic to dogs and cats if ingested. If in doubt, pull it out or create boundaries for your pet.
  • Garden boundaries: Flowering plants, bushes and trees are beautiful when in bloom. If you’d rather your pet stay away from these flowering beauties, create fencing or other barriers to ensure your pet stays away.
  • Fertilisers: Our plants need good food to grow and thrive, and fertilisers are commonly used to help this process. Consider using pet-friendly organic fertilisers and pesticides that don’t pose a risk to our pet pals when they’re wandering through the foliage.
  • Train and praise: Just as you might use the backyard to teach your dog to ‘sit’, take the opportunity to teach them boundaries. Train them to stay aware of certain areas in the yard, praise them and reinforce good behaviour with treats.
  • Tidy up: Make sure you tidy up shovels, garden forks, sprays and other garden maintenance items to ensure your pet doesn’t come in contact with sharp edges or toxic liquids.

If you are concerned your pet may have ingested something harmful while in the garden, seek advice from your vet immediately.

Browse online profiles of live-in house and pet sitters across the country who have experience in garden maintenance and animal care.

 

 

 

 

 

How to organise a last minute pet sit

Last Minute pet care

 

If one of your goals this year is to live in the moment and travel more, then there’s sure to be times when you need to organise a pet sitter for fido or kitty at very short notice. Here’s how to best approach finding your ideal pet sitter for a last minute getaway.

  1. Write an outline for your position

More detail is usually better than less, especially when organising a pet sitter at short notice. Include photos, care requirements and consider the way you phrase your expectations. If there are special pet care requirements or home maintenance, list these details in the position listing.

  1. List your position online

Home and pet owners can list positions for free on the Mindahome platform and can be connected with experienced, animal loving house and pet sitters right across the country.

  1. Reach out to your networks

When time is of the essence, another way to attract attention from potential home and pet sitters is to reach out to past sitters to check their availability. If they are not available, they may be able to make a recommendation. Via the Mindahome platform, home and pet owners can also reach out to sitters who they feel may suit their requirements directly.

  1. Review testimonials and previous reviews

Always review and request previous testimonials or references from house and pet sitters, particularly when organising a last minute pet sit. Via Mindahome’s review system, homeowners can leave reviews on a sitter’s profile, which provide a snapshot on the suitability of the sitter for your needs.

  1. Set up a virtual interview

When time is short, use technology to your advantage! Organise a virtual chat with potential house and pet sitters via platforms such as Skype, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet. A conversation about the pet and home care requirements, as well as learning more about the pet sitter and their experience, will help you feel more at ease.

  1. Introduce the sitter to your home and pets

If time allows, arrange for the home and pet sitter to stay at your home for at least one day prior to you leaving. This will ensure that any questions can be resolved before you leave and you, your pet and the sitter are comfortable with the arrangement.

Organising pet care at the last minute can be stressful and challenging. However, by following the above steps, all that’s left is for you and your fur-friend to enjoy a stress free holiday.

Settling pets during the scary season

As more Australians embrace the spooky season and don the ghoulish costumes to scare the neighbours, consider our four-legged friends with some tips about how to get them through this year’s Halloween.

Scary Treats: Trick or treating goodies may be delicious for kids and those that are young at heart, but some sweet treats could be toxic to our pet pals. Keep your pet’s paws away from the Halloween treats this year. Chocolate, particularly dark and baking chocolate, is a big no no for our pet pals, as are raisins which come in a variety of Halloween-style tricky or treating goodie bags. Also stay clear of gummies and lolly treats as these may include Xylitol, a sweetener that can induce vomiting and be life threatening for dogs. If you’re concerned your pet pal has ingested a treat that could be harmful, head to the vet for advice immediately.

Noise and strange visitors: It’s possibly the only time of year when we’re excited to see unusually dressed, makeup laden, noisy strangers come to our door, but our pets aren’t accustomed to what we’ve all come to understand as Halloween tradition. Your pet may be scared by the noises, costumes and general ghoulishness of Halloween, so it might be best to create a safe space for them in your home while the Halloween fanfare unfolds. Create a space with their favourite toys and familiar smells, and away from the scariness of Halloween.

Update contact details: When pets become frightened, there is the chance that they can escape the safety of their home and get lost. Before Halloween hits, make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date, especially if you’ve recently moved house, and opt for an ID tag that your pet can wear for easy identification, so they get home safely sooner.

Cords and cables: It’s fun to set the mood with spooky lighting, but cables and cords snaking around the floor can been seen as a form of fun for pets, especially our feline friends. Make sure cables are securely tied and covered and, if possible, out of reach of pets to prevent them from chewing through the wires.

Costumes: Everyone loves a pet in costume and Halloween is another perfect opportunity to dress up our pet pals. However, safety should be the number one priority when considering a costume for your doggo or kitty. Make sure the costume is a comfortable fit around your pet’s neck and chest with enough room for them to move easily and run around. Always monitor your pet while they are wearing their costume as they might become tangled or ingest some of the decorative items such as buttons and ribbons. Grabs a few snaps and show off your pet in costume, but don’t leave your fur kid in their creepy threads for too long.

If you’re planning Halloween celebrations, keep our pet pal’s safety in mind and seek advice from your vet if you are concerned about your pet’s wellbeing.

Pet sitters in search of a place for celebrate the spooky season can head online to find their ideal position.

Supporting pets through thunderstorms

Thunder and Pets

Thunderstorms can be spectacular and yet terrifying events in nature. The loud noises, and bright flashes of light of a fierce thunderstorm can send chills down the spine of even the most heroic humans. So, spare a thought for our pet pals who might need extra comfort during these overwhelming moments of nature.

We can all understand that sporadic flashes of light and booming, crashing sounds during thunderstorms would trigger unease among pets. Many pets have highly sensitive hearing – in fact, dogs are said to have four times better hearing than humans! – which means the unexpected loud cracks of thunder can cause them distress and anxiety. Continue reading “Supporting pets through thunderstorms”