As a charitable organisation, SCAS is dedicated to supporting research, promoting best practices, and advocating for policies that help both pets and people. Read more about SCAS here.
April is National Pet Month in the UK and each week SCAS will present a topic related to companion animal welfare, well-being, and the important role they play in the lives of humans. Week 4: SCAS member Kris Hill is celebrating the special bond between people and their pets. #NationalPetMonth @NatPetMonthUK
Of course, you love your pet, even when they chew up your favourite slippers or cough up a hairball on your pillow. Your pet also knows you love them, even when you grumble about the slobbery slippers or moan about getting woken up too early.
It’s not about expensive gifts!
How can you celebrate your beloved companion? Unlike some humans, our pets are never impressed by the price tag (unless it can be repurposed as a toy!). Cats love cardboard boxes and old shoelaces, and dogs are happy with a ball or random stick. The magic ingredient is YOU. Cats and dogs love time spent with you, either playing, walking, snuggling, or sitting in quiet companionship.
See here for some inexpensive ideas to show your pet how special they are. And check out the RSPCA’s page of providing appropriate species-specific care.
Caring during the cost-of-living crisis
When we take on our pets, we like to believe we can provide them with their basic needs – time, exercise, proper nutrition, and veterinary care. However, circumstances can change due to injury, ill-health, redundancy, or any number of curve balls life might throw at us. Unfortunately, the current cost-of-living crisis is seeing many more of us struggling to make ends meet. The anxiety of not being able to provide for a beloved pet can cause considerable emotional stress. The Blue Cross and RSPCA offer advice and support for anyone struggling to cope with the cost of food or healthcare for their pets.
SCAS also compiled a list of UK foodbanks that cater to pets (please contact us to suggest additions to the list!).
Share the love?
If you are fortunate enough to be able to provide for your pet and indulge them with expensive toys, perhaps spare a thought for the less fortunate? Show your love for your pet by donating a few tins of cat food to a foodbank or donate to a shelter or animal welfare organisation. Maybe you and your pet can do a fund raiser together? See here for some fun and creative (and pet-friendly) ideas on how to involve your pet in raising funds to help others.
If your own pet was adopted from an animal shelter, supporting that organisation can be a truly meaningful way to demonstrate how much you love them!
MaryMae & PeterLe (above) recently found their forever home with SCAS member Kris Hill!
Follow us on FB and Twitter (@SCASuk), and be sure to retweet posts from us using the hash tag #NationalPetMonth @NatPetMonthUK
SCAS is the UK’s leading human-companion animal bond organisation through funding research, providing education, raising awareness, encouraging best practice, and influencing the development of policies and practices that support the human-companion animal bond. For more details check out our website at www.scas.org.uk