Ravi Kumar / EyeEm
Caring for Your Pets During Tough Times
Our pets aren't just pets, they are our family. Here are a few tips on how to keep them happy and healthy during uncertain times.
UPDATE: 4/28/2020
If you are at home with your pets more, trust us, they are happy as can be. Our dogs, cats, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, and beyond are thrilled to have us home with them 24/7. At this time, it is understood by experts that our pets cannot catch or pass on the coronavirus to us, which is the best news ever. Regardless, here are some things you can do with your pets to keep them happy and healthy while we are all hunkered down.
Exercise!
Though we all should be practicing social distancing to halt the spread, take your pet on walks. We can still go outside, as long as we maintain a safe distance from our fellow humans. If you have indoor animals and they need exercise to expel some of their unbounding energy, opt for entertaining them with toys!
paul mansfield photography
Entertain!
DOG TV is an awesome option for some dog-approved entertainment. Watch those tails wag with joy while your fur-baby enjoys some of their favorite stars. Starting March 20th, DOG TV will be free on most cable providers, so be sure to check your local listings! You can also find some pup-eriific content on the DOG TV APP!
Care and Prepare!
Our friends at the Best Friends Animal Society put together some tips for keeping all pets safe and sound during this time—and always. They advise having enough food, water, and medication for at least one month. Also, make sure that your pets’ vaccination records are current. Should you need any care for your pets, Best Friends Animal Social is temporarily offering free, 24-hour veterinary consultations to those unable to leave their home through Best Friends Vet Access app. Simply use the code BFHELPS.
We are so thankful for our four (or eight, or no!)-legged friends every single day. They really relieve stress and help maintain normalcy when it is easy to lose your cool. The love we get from our pets is unconditional and as a pet-parent we owe them the same curtesy—unconditional love, care, and preparation.
Emmanuelle Bonzami / EyeEm
UPDATE, 4/28/2020:
At the original time of publication, it was beleived by the CDC that pets cannot get or transmit COVID-19. New discoveries have proved part of that fact false. Both cats and dogs in in the US have tested positive for Coronavirus. It started with big cats at the Bronx Zoo, and has since moved to pets.
