Our pets have such short lives and yet they give us so much. The benefits of pet ownership have been well researched and documented. As pet parents, we take on the commitment to look after our pet for their entire life. We share our top 10 ingredients for good pet wellbeing to keep your dog or cat healthy and happy. And a happy pet means a happy pet parent!

We believe good pet wellbeing is when animals experience pleasurable experiences, not just the alleviation of negative ones. And a good quality of life is when their positive experiences greatly outweigh all the negative experiences.

10 ingredients for good pet wellbeing

  1. Food and water – provide nutritious food and fresh water daily
  2. Vet care – provide preventative and ongoing veterinary care
  3. Financial plan – have a clear financial plan or pet insurance
  4. Daily exercise and play – allow time each day to exercise and play with your dog or cat
  5. Early socialisation – provide early and ongoing socialisation with other animals, people and household appliances
  6. Training – provide capable guardianship using positive training methods
  7. Prevent behavioural issues – allow your pet to express its natural behaviours; and prevent your pet suffering from loneliness, boredom and anxiety. Seek expert advice early to help you with any pet issues.
  8. Have a plan B – ensure your companion animal is able to depend on you now and in the future with a support system in place so that your pet will be taken care of if you can no longer do so yourself
  9. Support your pet through ageing when behavioural and medical issues may arise. Just like people, many diseases become more common as our pets age.
  10. Love your pet ‘warts and all‘ – there’s no such thing as the perfect pet!

Pets4Life’s manifesto for good pet wellbeing

Every animal deserves a good life, not just a life of existence.