Do You Spoil Your Pets And Then Blog About It?

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

The country may be experiencing a recession but when you ask the question, “Do you spoil your pets? and “Do you ever blog about it?” The articles abound and the figures are somewhat staggering on what we pet parents spend on our four-legged family members. It’s been reported that pet owners spent more than $50 billion on their beloved, furry and scaly and feathered family members.

I was at a John Oliver stand-up show recently at a college campus in Rochester and John mentioned that in October 2013 pet owners — regardless of the country being in a recession — spent close to $40 million on pet costumes! My friend, Sue (the proud mom to two Pugs) and I looked at each other and smiled. We were part of the rest of the pet lovers who dote on our doggies by buying them costumes.

What does spoiling your pet mean and why did BlogPaws choose to focus on that theme this month? Spoiling means many things to many people but we, here at BlogPaws, chose it as our February theme partially because Valentine’s day falls in February but because spoiling a pet means taking care of him or her to the best of your abilities.

When you think of spoiling your pet do you:

• Add to the mix the need to take him to the vet for regular check-ups and vaccinations?
• Do you feed her the best food you can afford?
• Do you keep her away from table scraps?
• When you travel with your pet are you certain she has a collar with your contact information? Or is your pet microchipped?
• Do you work with your pet to make sure he is a good citizen and that he is well-behaved and welcomed in social settings?
• Does your pet greet house guests with decorum? We all love our pets and know that a day without a good lint brushing before a meeting is like a day without sunshine, but there are folks who do not share our love of pet hair and pet dander!
• Do you spend time with your pet giving her belly rubs or ear massages?
• When you stop work do you open up your lap space so your kitty can lounge on you since you’ve “ignored” her all day because you had work to do?
• Do you consider your pet your best friend? I admit there are times that I talk more with Henrietta and Calico Lucy during the course of the day than I do with anyone else. Are they great listeners? You know they are! Do they offer good advice? Not usually, but they do provide comfort and companionship and that’s enough for me.
• Do your pets have safe, warm beds? Do they sleep in your bed or in their own?
• Do you offer your cats scratching posts so they can give into their natural instincts to scratch? Does your hamster or guinea pig have ample items on which to chew to keep its teeth in good condition? How about your bird? Does it have cage accessories to keep it occupied?
• Have you put measures in place for your pet to be cared for in the event something happens to you or whomever else cares for her? Having a plan in place for your pets’ care when you can no longer do so is part of responsible pet ownership. Too many pets get abandoned when the owners get too old to care for them. My parents didn’t have a place in place, but I was able to step up and care for their senior dog, Chico (who crossed Over the Rainbow Bridge on Friday). If I hadn’t been able to take him he would likely have been put down or taken to a shelter — no life for a senior beloved family pet.
• If you’re adopting a new pet are you taking the necessary time to introduce him to the rest of the family and giving them all a chance to get to know one another? This is crucial so there are no fights or other issues that arise from adding a new family member to the mix.

As we move into March and our Pet Blogger Education Month, remember that spoiling your pets is a year round task, don’t you agree?

What do you do to spoil your pets?

(Photo Shutterstock: Hamster eats carrots)