Pet Care

Unless you have a pet that you shouldn’t bathe, you do need to give your pets a bath on a regular basis. Dogs and cats also need protection against fleas and ticks to keep them healthy. Both of these kinds of pets should be kept inside the house when the weather is cold, although a well-insulated doghouse is sufficient for outdoors even in sub-zero temperatures. They also need to have special foods for their diet, such as commercial prepared wet or dry food. You can feed dogs scraps from the table, taking care not to feed them chicken bones.

Small animals need a nest or a cage of some kind. It does have to be one from which they cannot escape by chewing their way out. The bottom of the cage should be spread with wood shavings for most small animals, taking care to sue only pine, cedar or aspen. Shredded paper also works well as do commercial pellets that you can buy at the pet store.

All pets need to have their own dishes for their food and water. For dogs and cats you can use plastic bowls, but for most other animals you should use ceramic dishes with straight sides. Pets need to be fed and watered every day. Cats will eat twice a day and for adult dogs, once a day is fine.

Treats are a good way to interact with your pet. There are treats on the market for all pets. Toys also help you play with your pet because they need lots of exercise. Cats and dogs should be exposed to fresh air in a garden so that they cannot get out into the street. Other animals that stay inside benefit from being able to run around the cage and from having a wheel or some other piece of equipment that they can play on. All pets like to gnaw on something, which is why they should also have chew toys. When you do take your pet out for a walk, make sure that you have it on a leash so that you can control its movements.

The cage needs to be cleaned every day so that the bedding remains dry and clean. Any old toys and bedding should bed removed.