Preparing Your Pet For Spring

Preparing your pet for Spring doesn’t have to be taxing or too difficult. One of the most important things to consider is that you’re going to be getting out and about more. These environments along with the warmer weather mean you’re more likely to start running into unwanted parasites again. As long as your furry friend is protected, you don’t have to worry about it all that much. Frontline Spot On for Small Dogs and Puppies will keep your pooch free of any bugs inviting their coat and skin but you should still be checking them over for ticks if you go on a walk through long grass. Similarly, Flea Screen Combo Spot-On Flea & Tick Treatment for Cats does the job for cats as they start to go roaming further and are more likely to come across parasites.

It may also be the time of the year to make sure your pets are looking and feeling their best with a seasonal groom. You can either do it at home or treat them to a luxury spa treatment with The Jolly Groomer.

With their parasite treatment up to date, you can start getting out and about more and making the most out of the longer hours of daylight. Walks become more pleasant but it isn’t time to start getting the cooling mats and water games out just yet as there can still be a cold nip in the air.

With the house being warmer and windows acting like a greenhouse, your pooch might not want to sleep snuggled up in their nice warm fuzzy bed. They suddenly run the risk of getting too warm and stuffy as they take their middle of the day nap. A dog mattress like the Scruffs Chester Mattress Large Graphite is a great bed for your pup to sprawl out on in Spring. If it’s not quite as cuddly as their winter bed you can even add a Paws Behavin Badly Soft & Cosy Pet Blanket for extra comfort and sleeping options.

Spring is the season of allergies so what better way to prepare for it and limit the allergens in the food you’re feeding to keep your pup bright and healthy? A grain free diet like Lifestage Grain Free Adult Dog Lamb & Potato will give your pooch all the vitamins and minerals they need without introducing anything they might be sensitive to. Spring can sometimes trigger these sensitivities and it may be the pollen in the air, grain in their diet or even the source of protein that is in their food. Making sure they’re in optimal health sometimes means testing out a few different diets to find the perfect match.

For puppies in the Spring, a frozen diet is filled with lots of protein to help them grow big and strong. Natures Menu Puppy Frozen Nuggets Chicken, Salmon and Rice is the ideal diet for a growing puppy and it’s also naturally grain free.

Spring means you can start taking toys out on walks again and not risk losing them in the muddy lakes that used to be fields. You can play fetch with balls like SKIPDAWG Agility Ball Dog Toy that are brightly coloured and easy to track down in the thick grass. You can even level up your game with a Skipdawg Original Ball Launcher to get the ball even further and help your pooch get back to peak fitness with those extra steps.

Spring also means your garden isn’t just a bog and a glorified toilet for your dog anymore, you can actually get out there and use it. The Happy Pet Rubber Ring Dog Toy is a fun tuggy toy that you can get outside and use the extra space to have a fun game of tug with your pooch.

Now that the worst of the weather has passed, you can shed the heavyweight coats and take something a little lighter out. Spring still has its fair share of showers so you might still need a light raincoat like the Joules Olive Bee Raincoat Medium to keep their coat dry. On dry days, it might still be a little cold but you won’t need a whole coat so the fashionable Rufus & Rosie Fleece Hoodie will be a great look to match the weather.

With the warmer weather setting in, your feline friend is going to want to be out and about more so why not facilitate this with their very own door if they don’t already have one? A door like the PetSafe Staywell Classic Manual 4 Way Cat Flap means that they can go out and enjoy any warmer periods and you don’t have to get up every five minutes to open the door and let them in or out of the house.

Your kitten might appreciate a bed they can spawl out in as the weather gets warmer like this Beddies Pet Lounger Medium. A bed with high sides or even one they climb into is perfect for the winter but when the sun starts to come out, they’re like little magnets to any parts of the house that get to see the sun. A bed like the Beddies Spencer Pet Mattress Large is ideal for putting in your window so they can not only see the world but relax in whatever rays of sun manage to poke through the clouds.

During the Winter, you may have changed your feline friend onto an indoor cat diet if you kept them indoors to prevent hairballs. Now when they can go outside again they will benefit from a balanced diet like James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Turkey Dry Cat Food. Not only is it complete and balanced with no artificial colours or flavourings but it’s grain free as well so won’t trigger any allergies.

If you want to give your four-legged family member a boost of energy to get out and enjoy exploring, a diet like the Nutriment Cat Food, Beef is packed with protein. The extra protein gives them lots of energy while also helping to quickly heal any muscle strains they might get from exploring outside for the first time this year!

While you don’t want your moggy taking their cat toys outside whatever the weather, Spring is a good time to make use of that extra light. Toys like the Classic Cat Glitter Ball Cat Toy will make it look like your kitten is having their very own disco with the sun bouncing off the glittery surface and reflecting all over the walls. Your cat will love the extra stimulation from chasing around these reflective balls.

For your small furries, parasites don’t only hide out and about on walks but pets who live in hutches and even those indoors can still fall victim to them. Having a good parasite treatment like Beaphar Anti-Parasite Spot On for Small Animals ready for the spring is an important part of caring for your pets, no matter their size.

Now that the weather is a little warmer and the winds are so cold, you won’t need the bedding to be quite so thick to keep out any draughts. A natural bedding like Kaytee Natural Clean and Cosy Small Pet Bedding is still good for keeping the evening chill off but you won’t need quite as much of it or even several different layers of bedding material to keep them snuggly.

If you’re looking for a lightweight bedding material that is great fun to dig through, EasyFeedz Loosefill Softwood shavings, Small Animal Bedding is a good option. It’s dust free and won’t cause any allergies or reactions from your small furry friends.

A good, balanced diet is important any time of year for your fluffy family members. The Jollyes Fruity Hamster is a fun and colourful mix for your hamster that contains every nutrient they need. A mixture of cereals and vegetables, they get all of the vitamins and minerals they need while being able to carry out natural foraging behaviours.

If your small furry likes to pick through their food and only eat their favourite parts, they run the risk of becoming deficient in some vitamins and nutrients. A uniform diet that has everything blended together is immensely helpful, and we recommend using Excel Rabbit Food, Adult Tasty Nuggets. When all the nuggets are a blend of everything they need, it means they get their complete diet in every mouthful.

Spring means your pets can have playtime outdoors so now is a good time to get new toys that are suitable for the garden or to go on their run on the grass. Most small furries love exploring tunnels and hardy plastic ones like the Ancol Small Animal Tuff Tunnel are great for outdoor play. Tunnels are great to act as safe areas they can run to if they get spooked by anything like birds flying overhead.

Another great option for an outdoor toy is the Rosewood Pop-Up Tent for Small Animals. It's easy to clean material makes it great for outside and your small furries can use it to take a quick nap while they play outside.

Spring is a fun time for all pets, as long as you continue to keep them in good health, they can enjoy the warmer weather and longer daytime hours with you. For everything you need to make spring as fun and colourful as the blossoming flowers cropping up everywhere, visit us in store and online.