It's no surprise that every New Year's celebration includes a slew of resolutions aimed at improving our lives. When it comes to pet parents, they promise to start making homemade treats, take daily three-mile walks every morning, and build a luxury DIY catio by noon on New Year’s Day. But reality soon sets in, and these resolutions, like many others, fizzle by February.
The good news is that New Year's pet resolutions don't have to be big and bold to prove your pet-parenting worth. After all, aren't resolutions that are easy to keep more effective since you actually do them?
Therefore, focus on making small, realistic goals that improve your pet’s quality of life, without piling on a bunch of pressure.
Recipe for Realistic Resolutions
Before deciding on the best pet resolutions for you and your furry friend, consider what makes a resolution stick. A good way to test your options is to run them through a SMART goal filter.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
You can use a web-generated tool or simply reflect on your resolutions mentally, checking to see if they meet each characteristic of a sound resolution. Of course, before you can test your choices, you need some resolution ideas to get your gears turning!
8 New Year's Pet Resolutions That Are Easy to Keep
Try making some of these simple pet resolutions this New Year’s Eve.
Commit to Five Focused Minutes of Quality Time With Your Pet
Embrace the concept of quality over quantity and devote five minutes of focused time to your pet every day. Put down the phone, and don’t try to fold a load of laundry while you’re tossing a chew toy.
Give your pet five quality minutes of snuggle time, or let your dog sniff each interesting scent they find on your walk. It could also be a mini training session or a few fun exercises with your cat to work out their mind and muscles.
Why it works — Five minutes feels doable even on the busiest days, so you don’t feel overwhelmed by your resolution. It’s the consistency that matters the most, not the duration of each session.
Gradually Replace Worn-Out Pet Supplies and Pet Zones
Pets can’t use the same toys, bedding, and litter boxes forever, no matter how high-quality they are. Eventually, things start to wear out, plus pet zones can become messy over time as new items start to collect (like an overflowing toy basket).
However, trying to replace your pet’s belongings and reorganize their spaces all at once is a lot. Therefore, concentrate on one item or area at a time. For example, you could clean out your pet’s treat cabinet, tossing all expired treats and donating any fresh ones that they don’t like.
Other ways to implement this resolution are replacing the worn-down litter scoop and wiping down the litter mat, or replacing your pet’s funky water bowls.
Why it works — Small wins feel good, encouraging you to move on to the next thing. Plus, as you improve and refresh your pet’s things, it entices you to do the same elsewhere in your home.
Improve Vet Care Prep
Maximize every vet visit, whether it’s your pet’s usual annual exam or an impromptu trip to the clinic for an ear infection. Do this by using a notebook or notes app on your phone to jot down any questions regarding your pet’s health and behavior as they come up.
If you notice a suspicious lump or bump on your pet, snap a photo. Is your cat doing something strange that they've never done before? Write it down.
Keeping track of these things as they occur will save you a lot of time and mental energy. When your pet’s appointment rolls around, you won’t have to stress about trying to recall everything from memory.
Why it works — You aren’t scheduling extra vet appointments, you’re simply organizing what you already do and making things run more smoothly.
Upgrade Existing Routines
Pick one thing you already do every day and make it slightly better. For example, do you give your dog a dental chew after dinner? Great! Why not brush their teeth first?
Do you already brush your cat each morning? This is the perfect time to do a quick check of their ears, paws, claws, etc.
Why it works — You’re building on something you already do, so it’s easier to establish the habit.
Choose One Bad Habit to Improve on Consistently
If your pet isn’t the best-behaved, you don’t have to commit to hours of training. Instead, choose one bad habit your pet does and focus on changing it with consistency and short, mini sessions.
Then, practice consistently during the routines you already do. For example, practice staying while putting on shoes or ask your pet to sit before every meal. Reward calm behavior instead of only correcting bad behavior.
Why it works — Training becomes part of your daily routine instead of feeling like a large task on your schedule.
Introduce More Mental Stimulation Without a Lot of Effort
Enrichment exercises and mental stimulation reduce boredom, anxiety, and destructive behavior. However, you don’t need elaborate puzzles or expensive toys.
Let your dog sniff longer on your usual walks. Rotate pet toys instead of buying new ones, and your pet will feel like they’re getting something new. Toss kibble in the yard for your cat to find, use a slow feeder for meals, or hide treats around the house.
Why it works — These options are easy to do because they don’t require a lot of time on your part, and most of them cost nothing.
Use What You Have First
Commit to using things you have before you buy anything else. As tempting as those fancy treats look in the doggy bakery, use the two unopened bags in your kitchen cabinet first.
Remember the unused leash that you bought last year, but then left in a drawer? It’s time to put it to use.
Why it works — You save money and reduce clutter by reusing what you have. Plus, you don’t have to exert any effort to go shopping for something new.
Create a Pet Emergency Plan
Creating a pet emergency plan doesn’t have to be intimidating or take a long time. Plus, once you have it in place, you only need to review it occasionally to make sure it stays current.
Write down your vet’s number, emergency clinic info, and contact information for emergency contacts, like a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member. Include a list of your pet’s medications and dosing information, their feeding instructions, and any known health conditions.
Maintain a hard copy and also store a digital version in your phone, along with your pet’s updated vaccination records. You’ll have it ready to go for emergencies, pet sitters, evacuations, etc.
Why it works — This isn’t something you have to devote time to every day. It’s one and done with just a few tweaks over time as information changes. You may never need it, but if you do, you’ll be incredibly glad you have it in place.
Simplicity Is the Secret to Keeping Pet Resolutions
The best pet parent resolutions are the ones that you actually keep. Focus on being a little more present, a little more organized, and a lot less overwhelmed instead of overhauling everything you do with your pet.
After all, your pet doesn’t care about perfection. They care about you and how you interact with them. Showing up consistently, loving them unconditionally, and doing your best are all excellent ways to show your pet they matter, and that’s a resolution worth keeping.
To learn more about how you can be the best you can be for your furry friend, check out the rest of the Neater Pets blog. Happy New Year!