How to Keep your Pet Happy During Lockdown

With so many of us working from home, this has likely come as great news for those of us with pets, especially if they are used to spending much of their day alone. However, like many of us, pets can find change in routine difficult, so you may have noticed a slight change in their behaviour. But the good news is that whilst we are all adjusting to lockdown life, there are plenty of things we can do to help keep our pets happy.

Making the best of this time with your pet

Keep your pets mentally stimulated- help relieve your pets boredom and any unwanted behaviours by giving them something to do. For dogs, think hide and seek, or teaching them new tricks. For cats think about getting a scratching post, or having their bed near a window view. Check out the RSPCA for more ideas.

Try and stick to a routine - taking walks at regular times and scheduling in plenty of time for affection and bonding after work will all help keep your pets in a healthy routine. Try not to spend every moment with them in order to reduce separation anxiety when you go back to work.

Give them a safe space- when your dog or cat needs a bit of quiet time, especially if you live in a bustling house with kids, make sure they’ve got a quiet, comfortable and safe space they can retreat to.

Be realistic - and be kind to yourself, lockdown is not easy for any of us, so be patient with your pets if they are behaving differently or struggling with the transition.

Enjoy this time - most importantly enjoy all this extra time you get to spend with your pet as much as possible. They are so grateful for your love and only want to see you happy.

Homemade Dog Treats

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain flour

1 cup of rolled oats

1/3 cup Biona Organic Peanut Butter

1 ¼ cup of warm water

 

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180c and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour and oats. Mix in the peanut butter and hot water to make a dough. If its crumbly, add a little water.

3. Knead the dough for a few minutes then cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest for 15 minutes on the counter.

4. On a floured surface roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to cut shapes.

5. Place on the baking tray and bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely before giving to your dog.

 

Biona Pets

Meet our pets who are keeping us company whilst working from home...

1. Meet Barrington the cat who belongs to Charlotte in our print department. He’s 9 years old and enjoys spending most of his time sleeping on Charlotte's bed whilst she works. 2. If anyone's pleased about lockdown, it's Alfie. He belongs to Helena in customer care and whilst everyone's home, he's getting constant attention and exercised separately by everyone so this cheeky monster can enjoy multiple walks! 3. Meet Scout the Labrador who has been practising her social distancing skills with her owner Chloe from Sales in the coffee queue. 4. This is Maggie the Labrador who belongs to Molly in Marketing. She has been enjoying all the extra time with her owners and often keeps Molly company by lying next to her feet.

5. This is Raffi on facetime to his owner Ellie in Marketing. He's sometimes found hiding under the sofa to escape the noise of the increased activity in the house.

6. Meet Hugo, he belongs to Amy in sales and he's a 7 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He spends most of his days napping, but is missing his daily walk to the office where he gets a lot of attention!

7+8. Both Womble the cat and Rupert the dog belong to Keena in Sales. Womble has taken to keeping Keena company whilst doing her daily yoga, and Rupert is enjoying daily snoozes on the bed.

9. Harper Lee the cat who also belongs to Chloe in sales is pictured here in the garden enjoying her daily dose of sunshine.