Hi everyone, my name is Laura V and this is Cashew, and Chester, hanging out in his safe place. Today I want to talk to you about how to make sure your pet feels nice and happy and safe at home alone. There are lots of things you can do.
Let's focus right now on dogs though. When we're talking about dogs being happy at home on their own, one of the things I really love to do is make sure that your dog has a safe place. Now that may be a crate, it could just be a mat, or it could be anywhere that your dog chooses to go to rest and have positive experiences whenever you are not around.
This is really great because it makes your dog feel safe and it creates a predictability, so your dog knows what's going on in their surroundings and they feel like they're in control of that. It's a really important thing to think about. Another thing I really love to do is to reward my dogs when I'm walking away from them. I really don't make a big deal of coming back to them, but when I'm moving away from them I do tend to, like to, reward them and then get out of the way. So they actually start to predict that when I move away from them, good things can actually happen.
There are also some really cool treats, treat dispensers rather, and toys that you can get for your dog. I don't wanna get that to make too much noise 'cause Chester absolutely loves some of these toys that you can buy at Best Friends Pet Stores, where he actually would never care if he saw me ever again as long as he's got access to his toys and his treats.
Treat dispensers are really good because you can put really high value food into these, put them out in the back yard or inside your house and your dog will get to have access to something that they usually never get and they only get it when you are not around. So really important stuff to think about.
Also, there are other products out there at Best Friends Pets where you can have a chat with the expert team and they can advise you on other things that you can do to make sure your dog is happy and safe at home. Things like the Adaptil Diffusers can certainly help and there's a range of other things that your dog will love to explore when you are not around. You just have to have a chat with the team at Best Friends and they'll be sure to help you get everything that you need.
Now let's talk about our cat friends, and they're probably wondering something a little bit different than dogs at this time.
They're probably going, "Why are you guys around so much?" So let's make sure our cats feel nice and happy when they're home as well. One thing you can do is make sure you've got something like this or something really high because cats love to go up high. They love to look out and they like to look down as much as they can. It does make them feel safe and secure. Other ideas at home are things like hidey holes.
Your cat loves to get into little cupboards and nooks and crannies in your home, so allow them to do that and make sure that they've got extra beds in those areas. That definitely makes them feel safe. Also, products like the Feliway. That product can actually help your cat to feel much more calm and relaxed when they're at home, alone, or if you are around. Always remember that sometimes stress for your cat can lead to some medical issues.
So if you are concerned about your cat feeling stressed, make sure you go and see your local and trusted veterinarian. Also the wonderful team at your local Best Friends Pet Store will be able to help you with anything that you need for your cat.
