How to Keep Your Dog and Cat Safe Outdoors

Keeping pets is arguably one of the best decisions you could make: they enrich our lives in a way nothing else can and they provide us company and unconditional love. However, if you aspire to be a pet parent, you must know that there are certain responsibilities you will have to deal with. One of these is keeping them safe while outdoors – and here are a few tips to help you do that.

Fix your fence

The first thing you must do if you are to keep a puppy in your yard is to make sure your fence is up to the task. Take some time to thoroughly investigate whether it has some damage where your dog could escape. If you’re dealing with a little digger, consider enclosing a part of your yard and adding a flooring option that is both suitable for your dog and impossible to dig through.

Make your garden safe

Even if you have a well-enclosed, well-maintained outdoor space for your pets, there might be hidden dangers lurking around. For instance, do you know what common plants are dangerous for your puppy? The same is true for cats, and something as harmless-looking as daffodils, lilies or tulips can do harm to your pet if they were to consume it. Therefore, examine your garden and keep this information in mind during your future landscaping attempts.

Make your pet identifiable

Cats pay no mind to fences and there is no way for you to prevent your feline friend from straying away from your house if they are an outdoor cat. In addition, some puppies can be especially crafty at escaping, and in those cases, you have to be prepared in different ways. An easy way to make sure your pet will find their way back to you is to equip them with handy dog and cat tags. You can have their name engraved on the front and your phone number or address on the back, and in case your furry friend gets lost, the founder will have an easier job getting them back to you.

Protect them against ticks

Ticks are a serious threat and pets that spend a lot of time outdoors are at risk of getting a sickness that these parasites spread. Therefore, it is of crucial importance that you regularly protect your pet against them. There are all kinds of products on the market for this purpose, so find the one that best suits your pet and apply it regularly.

Track their whereabouts

If you want to be always aware of where your pet is, you have several options. The most straightforward one is perhaps having a microchip inserted under their skin. Your vet can do this and you can rest assured that you will find your pet if they get lost. You can also consider investing in a GPS tracker collar. This technology allows you to follow your pet wherever it goes through an app you can install on your smartphone. This is especially handy if your pet has a tendency to stray often and you have to go looking for them through the streets.

Spay or neuter them

Of course, there are several reasons as to why you should neuter your pet, but, especially for cats, it also serves the function of keeping them safe. Neutered male cats are less likely to stray far and get into fights with other cats so this extra step will help you prevent your little troublemaker from getting hurt.

Carry water

If you go on long walks with your dog, don’t forget to always carry water for them in order to prevent them from getting dehydrated. Especially during summer months, you have to make sure your pet doesn’t get a heat stroke. Besides water, you might also want to equip your dog with a cooling vest in these cases.

It’s not an easy job to keep our pets completely safe when they are outside, especially cats that tend to wander away. However, you can at least make your garden a safe place and implement preventive measures, such as tick protection and identifying tags. Good luck in keeping your fur baby safe!

About the author: Emma Williams is an Australian writer with a master‘s degree in business administration, who has a passion for anything lifestyle and design related. She spends most of her time redecorating and participating in house projects. As a great nature lover, her biggest pleasure is spending time in a small cottage by the river.

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