How to take care of pets while social distancing

Written By:Christie Day09.4.20

While we as a nation have pledged to stay home, there’s one form of light-hearted relief that’s proving invaluable – our pets. While some pet owners have been sharing hilarious photos online of their new furry colleagues, others have lovingly welcomed new rescue pets into their home.

Our beloved pets have been providing us with some much-needed companionship and entertainment while we’re spending unprecedented amounts of time at home.

As proud pet parents, it’s our responsibility to let them know how much we appreciate them while making sure they’re getting everything they need while staying indoors. Plus, as it’s also National Pet Month, what better time to show them how much you care?

We’ve teamed up with the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust and the My1stYears pet range to help you keep your pets happy, healthy and safe while staying home.

Plus, find out how you can win a personalised dog bed from the My1stYears pet range and raise free donations for the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust.

Our exclusive 14% off all orders at My1stYears discount code is valid on all items featured in this blog post and across all other products onsite. Every time this exclusive code is used it will raise a free donation for the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust. Deal terms and conditions can be found at the end of this post.

Include dog walks in your daily exercise

We may only be able to go out and get moving once a day, but that doesn’t mean our four-legged friends should miss out on their daily dose of exercise.

Combining your daily outing with your dog walk means you can really make the most out of your time out of the house. Not only does it provide crucial bonding time, but also means you’ll be sticking to official advice and only leaving the house once every day.

Keeping your pooch safe is a must – the My1stYears mesh harness and tweed dog lead are designed for maximum comfort and safety so they can roam free without getting themselves into any danger.

If it’s a little chilly, the traditional tweed dog coat is perfect for cold days and brisk walks. With an adjustable body strap and a velcro neck strap, they’ll be warm and cosy on even the windiest of days.

Find inside activities and games to keep them entertained

The thought of being cooped up indoors with pets may be a little daunting, but there are plenty of ways to keep them entertained inside.

Playing fetch with soft toys like the giraffe dog toy and personalised soft blue bone toy is a great way to expend some energy and strengthen the bond with your pet. Plus, these two epic pet toys from the My1stYears range are soft, sturdy, and perfect for any dog to get their teeth into.

Or why not use this time to teach them new tricks or train them up? There are plenty of free resources online to get you started.

As well as being beneficial for your animals, dedicating more time to playing with your pet is great for your mental health and productivity too. Studies have shown that having your much-loved pet nearby lowers blood pressure and releases serotonin, improving your mood.

Don’t fuss over them too much

Going back to the office and some kind of normality may seem like a distant dream right now, but it’s going to happen sooner or later.

To make the transition back to normal life as smooth as possible, pet behaviour experts have warned against overindulging in your pet while you’re spending more time at home.

It’s important to make sure your pet has their own space where they can snuggle up with a toy or treat while you’re on yet another conference call. The My1stYears pet teepee is a fun alternative to a traditional dog bed that your pet is bound to love.

With free personalisation and super soft reversible cushioning, your pooch will be living the high life come rain or shine. By giving them their own space, you’re setting boundaries which will prove invaluable the longer you’re at home.

Make their time indoors as comfortable as possible

We’ve learnt that being as comfortable as possible while working from home is crucial (we’ve all been secretly wearing our favourite pyjama bottoms and slippers in team calls, right?), and it’s no different for our pets who have been spending more time indoors too.

Making sure your pet’s down time indoors is as comfortable as possible is key. As cats prefer spending most of their time indoors anyway, cat owners may have it a little easier but it’s still a great opportunity to treat them to some cosy new bedding they’ll love.

The canvas pet mattress and maritime stripe pet basket bed are both perfect for both dogs and cats, and the cosy grey star pet fleece blanket is the best addition for extra comfort and cosiness.

Order enough pet food online

We’ve all seen the news articles about people stockpiling food and essentials from big supermarkets, and, unfortunately, it’s no different for pet food.

It’s more important than ever to make sure your pet is getting the essential nutrients and healthy food because they’re less likely to be hitting their daily exercise goals. We’d recommend heading online to small retailers like Pure Pet Food and zooplus to get your hands on your pet’s favourite treats and snacks fuss-free.

Make mealtimes fun and treat your furry friends to a touch of style during dinner with the snazzy ceramic oval dog bowl or small ceramic white dog bowl from My1stYears. Both are completely personalisable with your pet’s name and beautifully crafted to fit into any style of kitchen. Whatever food is their fave, pair it with a cute new pet bowl for success all round.

And if you just can’t resist showing your pooch off in your weekly team video call

Proud parents of fur babies up and down the country will likely be resisting the urge to show off their pets to colleagues every time a video meeting crops up.

If you just can’t resist thrusting your pet into the video limelight, why not have a bit of fun and treat them to some new accessories for the occasion?

Any dog big or small would look absolutely adorable in this sweet dog bow tie. It’s designed to slide onto any collar with ease, so your pooch will be comfortable and cute.

This tweed pet neckerchief is also a great way to have some fun with your pet and keep them looking their best – on and off camera. Plus, it’s a surefire way to bring a smile to your workmates’ faces!

If your pet simply loves being in front of the camera, why not enter them in the RVC Animal Care Trust’s online pet show? To celebrate National Pet Month, head over to the RVC Animal Care Trust Facebook page for daily pet photo competitions including action shot, best sleeper and caught in the moment categories.

It’s free to enter, but a donation to the charity would be hugely appreciated if you do. All animals are welcome – fur, scales, feathers and all – and there are even exciting prizes to be won by some lucky winners. The competition will be starting on 20th April, with new categories announced every other day. Get your cameras at the ready!

Competition: Win a personalised dog bed from the My 1st Years pet range

Want to treat your fur baby for being the best work from home companion? Would your pet love the fabulously cosy and comforting animal beds featured in this post?

Head over to our Facebook page for your chance to win a personalised pet bed from the My1stYears pet range. Simply tell us in the comments of this post what your favourite ‘work from home’ pet moment has been so far.

Including images sadly won’t improve your chances but would be much appreciated by all here at team Savoo! The competition runs from Monday 13th April to Sunday 19th April – good luck!

Terms and conditions

• Exclusive My1stYears discount code is valid from 13th April 2020 to 26th April 2020.
  3% of every order will go to the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust.
• The competition is not linked to Facebook and is not sponsored, supported or organised in any way by Facebook.
• Every participant who comments on the Facebook post to enter automatically agrees to these terms and conditions.
• The competition runs 13/04/2020 to 19/04/2020 at 23.59. The automatic determination of the winner takes place on the following day.
• The winners will be contacted on Facebook by Savoo, and have one week to respond with their contact details.
• The winner is responsible for paying any additional costs.
• Entrants must be aged 18 or over.
• Proof of identity and age may be required.
• No responsibility can be accepted for entries lost, delayed or corrupted, or due to computer error in transit.
• The prizes are as stated, are not transferable to another individual and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The winner will not be able to receive a cash refund for any amount unspent.
• In no case can a cash payment of the prize be made.
• The participants’ data will not be passed on to third parties and will only be used for the processing of the competition.