Valentine’s Day

Pets Training & Boarding have some great tips on how to include the family pet in all the fuss and love of Valentine’s Day. PLUS; some top tips on how to keep our cats and dogs safe over this celebration.

For some pet owners this day will be fraught with the wait for flowers, chocolate or some wonderful romantic gesture from the one they admire. The great news is, if you don’t have a someone special, you can now happily enjoy the celebration alongside your beloved pet.

TOYS TOYS TOYS

All canine companions and feline friends love a new toy to pounce and play with. With so many valentines inspired toys around why not take a trip to your local pet shop and buy a new selection of ‘home alone’ toys.

This way you can celebrate Valentine’s Day and also stock-up on your boredom busting toy collection. It’s also a great idea to make this Valentine’s Day the special day you check your pet’s toys for any possible problems. Broken toys are commonly removed from the stomach of pets. Show your pet you care by removing and disposing any damaged toys.

Remember with all home-alone toys, they only come out of hiding when you are about to leave for the day, and don’t forget to pick them up and remove them as soon as you arrive home. This will keep your pet entertained, help starve-off boredom and also extend the life of your pet toys.

Other ideas include:

• Photoshoot – ever wanted a great photo of you and your pet to take pride of place on your mantlepiece? Why not organise a professional photoshoot at your pets favorited location, or do it on the budget and dust off the old camera for a special pet friendly photoshoot?
• Playdate – Call up your pets favourite furry friends and organise a playdate at home or the local off leash area.
• Adventure – plan a pet friendly adventure. There are oodles of pet friendly accommodation now available around Australia that will happily accommodate cats and dogs. Make sure you research all the pet friendly adventures around town and take the full opportunity to spend some quality time with your pet.
• Walking Tracks – with so many wonderful walking tracks available to our canine companions why not research a new track today? Don’t forget to take ample water for both you and your pooch and set off early to explore the breathtaking tracks around Australia.
• Pet Friendly Picnic – set up a lovely romantic picnic for your true love and invite the family pets. Consider making a pet friendly treat for your cat or dog. For cats; perhaps consider holding the picnic in your backyard. If you are a dog owner the choice is really limitless, from a nice reserve to a beach. Don’t forget to dress up for the occasion – cue the pet bowties!

Quick Valentines Warning…

Don’t forget that chocolate is highly toxic to dogs and cats. However, most cats will stay clear of the tasty treat, unlike our dogs that will happily devour the chocolate, the box and the wrappers.

As little as 100-150 milligrams of the toxic component theobromine in chocolate per kilogram bodyweight will cause toxicity in dogs. This means that if you have a 30kg dog as little as 3000mg of theobromine could be fatal! The rate of theobromine increases in darker chocolate and how the chocolate was made and the caffeine component. If you suspect your dog is in danger call your local veterinary clinic and seek out professional advice.

For cats, ensure you keep lilies out of the flower arrangement for Valentine’s Day. These are highly toxic to cats and can lead to poisoning. It’s best to stick with the traditional red roses for pet lovers.