Thank you to Happy Trails Pet Spa & Resort for guest writing this blog, as part of our monthly Business Partner Program. Learn more about Happy Trails here.
If you’ve ever had a pet, you might have done things like talk in a high pitched voice to your pup while giving them a warm embrace, or leaned down to give your feline friend a friendly pat on the head. Have you ever wondered what their preference for receiving affection is? Just like humans, animals also have preferences for the way they like to receive affection. We don’t all like hugs and kisses and neither do our furry friends!
So, what is the best way to show our dog and cat pals affection? Here at Happy Trails Pet Spa & Resort, we are committed to providing affection to every animal that passes through our doors. Here are some of our tips for showing your pets affection during Valentine’s season and all year round:
Sharing Space
Your pet pals want to hang around you and sometimes that just means being in the same room together. When sharing space, consider lightly patting the window ledge to invite your cat for a sit near your desk while you do computer work or allow your dog to rest their head on your lap as you watch your favorite show.
Making Time for Playtime
Our pets are balls of energy at times and could really use some regular playtime. This could look like one-on-one playtime with your best friend, providing them with stimulating toys to play with on their own, or bringing your pet pal to a place like doggy daycare or the dog park for group play with other pups.
Teach and Learn With Them
Both cats and dogs enjoy learning new things – brain stimulation is a sure way to show them some love! Staying sharp with things like basic training skills and even learning the occasional new trick builds confidence in our animal companions.
Mutual Respect
Animals and humans communicate in very different ways. Taking the time to get to know and understand your pet and their inherent traits is important to maintaining a healthy relationship with them. This can be as simple as taking a few minutes to watch how your pup is tilting their head or pointing their ears, noticing your kitties tail curl or lack thereof can help you to start understanding the individual language of your furry friend.
Treating Them to Something Tasty
We all know that saying – “the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach,” this is also the case with our pets. Just ask them! Providing healthy and delicious treats for our furry companions is the perfect way to show them how much you truly care.
Exhibiting affection in ways our pets enjoy and understand will create a lasting and positive impact on them while further enriching their lives.
Happy Trails Pet Spa & Resort is a state of the art facility that offers daycare, boarding and grooming services to dogs and cats of all breeds, sizes and medical needs. We also offer individualized services like our variety of enrichments for both daycare dogs and boarding animals. We are a facility dedicated to understanding how your pet receives affection not only from our own interactions with them, but also from stories from pet parents to continue the love from home to Happy Trails!
