Pet Owners and Pampered Paws [Info-Graph]

If there’s one thing that programmes like “World’s Most Pampered Pets” show us, it’s that there is no shortage of pet owners heaping trinkets and luxuries on their pampered pups and kittens. Conveniently, if you look at this Infographic pulled together by Multiyork, you will find some interesting facts and figures of pamperers throughout the country.

The level of care presented in these shows, while the pets no doubt appreciate the effort, can be incredibly costly, and some pampering options can be downright eyebrow rising in their ostentatiousness. Of course, as pet owners, we might watch those shows and wish we could give our pets a little more luxury than we already do.

Here are three ways of improving your pets’ quality of life, without breaking the bank, and without prompting concerned phonecalls from friends and family.

1. More frequent rewards and treats

You will no doubt already know that treats and rewards are key in the formative stages of your pet’s life. To briefly delve into Psychology, the theory behind treats is to form an association between behaviours and outcomes.

Continuing to provide treats after your young cat or dog successfully performs an act that you deem to be desirable, eventually results in that action being desirable to them too because they associate carrying out that action with a positive reward.

Now, once the training is complete, and your pets are doing what you want them to, or not doing what you don’t want them to do, we tend to become lax in dishing out rewards beyond the training stages.

This is not to say that you should be rewarding your pets every single time they do something good, but the odd treat here and there reinforces their training, ensuring that they don’t fall back into old habits or start to feel neglected.

2. Let them catch up on their stories

We’re busier now more than ever, or it certainly feels that way. We’re working longer hours, and as a result of that, we’re tending to have much more active social lives. It’s easy to forget amidst our working hard and playing hard that we have a furry friend at home, patiently waiting to catch a glimpse of us between engagements.

Even if your pet isn’t tremendously touchy feely, you might have noticed that they tend to gravitate to wherever you are in the house, even if they don’t come thundering up to you, demanding attention.

Pets, for the most part, like being around humans, even if it’s just hearing their voices, or seeing their faces. While you’re out, why not give them the next best thing and leave the TV or radio on for them? One small appliance shouldn’t bump up your electricity bill, and it might make the silence a little less deafening in your absence.

3. The floor’s made of lava

You might not like this suggestion – consider letting your pet jump up to some of your furniture; whether they nestle up to you while you’re trawling iPlayer or curling up at your feet while you’re in the fast lane to Sleep town.

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Disclaimer: We would like to thank Mulityork for their infograph