Regardless of the times, the fact that humans love to keep pets is one thing we can trust to be constant. Across the world, 1 in every 3 households owns at least one pet in 2021, according to The Zebra. It’s simply something that doesn’t fade even with the difficulties of modern life, including such ubiquitous difficulties as the 8-hour workday. If you own or are planning to own a pet, you’re likely worried that the demands of a full-time job are going to take precious time away from essential pet care responsibilities. But you may be happy to know that with some clever planning and consideration, you can make a full-time job work with responsible pet ownership. Read on to find out how.
Build Your Routine Around Pet Care
When you’re short on time, a tight, well-kept schedule is your best friend. You may know all about how routines can give people some much-needed peace of mind. The same applies to your pet. Setting up predictable activities and daily rituals for your pet, from feeding time to exercise, can work wonders for their mental health. This way, they’ll be less stressed by you not being home most of the time.
A fact that escapes some is that getting a pet is something like a full-time job. Everything you do has to be built around another living thing’s needs now. If you take morning jogs, it’s probably best to take your dog along because it’s likely that you’re not going to find a better time to walk him or her. If you get invited for dinner or drinks after work a lot, you may need to invest in an auto-feeder for your pets so they don’t go hungry while you’re away. Despite your efforts to optimize your schedule, not every pet may be compatible with the times allowed by your own schedule. Hence, you may want to select a species or breed depending on what time you can spare for your pet. For example, cats, birds, and lizards would have a lot less pent-up energy than dogs and thus need less exercise. However, they would come with their own unique care requirements that you’re going to want to consider.
Make Them Feel Less Lonely And Bored While You’re At Work
Being bored on top of being lonely is a bad combination of emotions for pets. This is more of a problem for some pets than others. Dogs having to spend all day indoors with nothing to do can end up chewing up something you wouldn’t want them to. Cats are more independent, but that doesn’t mean they don’t feel lonely. An overly bored cat may end up tearing up curtains or causing some other type of damage. Even reptilian or amphibian pets can get bored if their curiosity and desire to explore isn’t satisfied.
To prevent restlessness and potential depression, you should look up the best ways to keep your pet entertained. This usually entails buying them toys and other implements to keep them occupied while they’re alone in the house. In some cases, hiring a pet-sitter or asking a friend or relative to do the job may be in order. Some of the more social pets, such as cats and dogs, usually benefit from the company of another cat or dog in the house. Hence, you might want to consider getting your favorite feline or canine a friend to play with while you’re away.
Check to See If Your Work Gives Considerations For Pet-Owners
This can take many forms, but unfortunately, you can probably only look forward to something like this if you work a white-collar job. Still, it largely depends on your bosses whether they’re open to giving pet owners some allowances so they can better take care of their pets. One rising trend among businesses is the concept of the pet-friendly workplace. In order to increase employee morale, a lot of businesses are now allowing their employees to take their pets to work, provided that they’re well-trained and their owner cleans up after them. See if you can talk to your boss about implementing such a policy if your work doesn’t have it already. You may also be able to negotiate things like a short leave from work to get a new pet settled, or other allowances that let you provide your pets with the daily care they need.
Alternatively, you can also take the option to work from home if your job allows it. This may be easier to arrange depending on the nature of your job. This makes it a little easier to keep your pet company and tend to their needs, but you still have to properly balance their care with your work responsibilities. You wouldn’t want a serious Zoom call to be inundated with the sound of a restless dog in the background, or be intruded upon by a restless cat.
Pay Closer Attention to Their Wellbeing
Since you’re going to be working most of the day, it’s going to be harder to notice signs of distress or illness in your pets. Once you notice that they’re doing something out of the ordinary, keep a lookout to see if there’s a pattern taking shape. It may help to invest in a pet monitor to keep an eye on your pet even when you’re away. Some auto-feeders have pet interface screens built-in, so they’ll be treated to the comforting sight of you when you check in on them.
Even if you decide not to hire a pet-sitter, it’s still a good idea to prepare an emergency phone number that you can call whenever something comes up with your pet and you can’t be there to attend to them. Strike up an agreement with a close friend or relative so they can fill this role for you. This way, you avoid preventable dilemmas that you can’t address because your hands are tied at work.
Pets can be a handful at times, and this can be a major obstacle for a full-time worker. But with a little cleverness and planning, even the busiest individuals can meet all their targets at work and still have a fulfilling home life with their pet.