How To Make (And Keep) New Year's Resolutions To Your Pets

This last year especially, our animals have gotten a lot of extra attention thanks to wide-spread work from home measures and a boom in adoptions. With the start of a new year, don't forget to include your pets in your resolutions for how to make 2021 better than 2020. What more can you do to make sure they are comfortable, safe, happy, well-fed, and healthy? And if you don't have pets at home but still love animals, how can you donate some of your time to a local shelter? There are dozens of ways to make a change both in and outside of your own home with a guarantee that your efforts will be appreciated. 

Animal shelters go through lots of everyday items that most of us don't even consider. Laundry detergent, cat litter, cleaning supplies, and towels are always on every shelter's donation list. Some shelters have started Amazon wishlists to make donating even simpler. Look through your house to see if you have any items you can spare. Old towels that you no longer use could be put toward swaddling newborn kittens or gently drying off senior dogs after a bath. If you have a pet who has outgrown some old toys, compile those as well. It'll feel like Christmas morning at the shelter when you drop off some new goodies that smell like your pet, which will make the shelter animals feel a sense of security. 

As far as your own pets go, resolve to spend more time with them. Play with them as often as you can, groom them when it's needed, and give them that extra dose of TLC when they're just chilling with you. It will improve both your pets' and your own mental health knowing that you have a happy cat or dog. If you have stray cats that come by your house, maybe leave out some better-quality canned food, or scraps from poultry meals as an extra treat. If you bring your dog to a dog park, maybe bring a basket of shareable toys for the whole park to enjoy. It's little things like that that make the difference in a pet's life. 

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Post originally appeared on American Upbeat.