March is here, but it’s never too late to start your New Year’s resolutions. They aren’t just for you to accomplish your personal goals, they can also be made to help with your small pet’s mental and physical well-being.  Create goals with these things in mind–be specific, challenge yourself and your pet, and make sure you are focused on something that’s important to you and for your furry friend.  Below are some tips to get you started.

Healthier Eating Habits

It’s important as a human being to have a nutritious balanced diet, right? Did you know that it’s also extremely important for your small animal friends?  A few suggestions for helping your gerbil, hamster, hedgehog or other small pet stay healthy include:

• Remove junk food from your pet’s diet.  Too much junk food can encourage your pet to reject the healthy options you provide for them. This can lead to serious deficiencies over time.

• Lighten up on the treats.  Even with healthy treats, too much can become a problem.

• Provide age and species appropriate fortified food.  Follow the feeding guidelines provided on the bag of food.

• When choosing a food, steer away from mixed diets and look for a well-balanced pellet diet. Just like us, our little ones go straight for the tasty pieces and end up missing out on the nutrition.  Oxbow Garden Select food is a great choice with healthy non-GMO ingredients for small animals.

• Hay is essential for herbivores and should be offered in unlimited amounts.  Make sure that 70% of their diet is made up of grass hay.  There are lots of varieties to choose from such as Oxbow Timothy, Orchard Grass, Meadow Grass, Alfalfa, Oat and Botanical hay as well as blends.

• Did you know that Guinea Pigs, like humans, can’t make their own vitamin C?! Talk to your vet about whether your little pal could benefit from vitamin supplements such as Oxbow’s Natural Science Vitamin C, Joint Support or Urinary Support.

Get Up and Get Moving

It’s never too late to change our exercise habits for the better!

• Kill two birds with one stone. Combine your goals with the ones you set for your pet.  Pet proof some space for your pet, let them get their exercise, and when they’re done and safely back in their home get yourself moving.

• Lead by example! Encourage your pet to follow you as you move around the house.  Using a fitness ball is a great way to let your pet roam while keeping them safe.  Check out the 2 In 1 Fitness Ball from Oxbow.

• Play games such as hide and seek to mentally stimulate your pet and encourage natural habits.  Hide their favorite treat in a foraging toy, or wrapped in a piece of raffia paper that you can move around the room. 

Quality vs Quantity

It’s hard to balance work, life and health for us and our small furry friends.  Time is one of the BEST gifts you could give your pet.

• Include your pet on movie nights and let them hang out on the couch with you.  Worried about a mess? Place a blanket or waterproof mat on the sofa for easy clean up.

• Have a family game night with your pet and play quiet, safe, pet friendly games. 

• As a way to increase your pets daily enrichment, interact with them throughout the day, include them in family game night (from a safe distance), encourage them to drink plenty of water and create new memories together and build an unbreakable bond! 

Don’t exclude your little pets from this year’s health and happiness goals. Check out the variety of Oxbow Enriched Life items available at Care-A-Lot Pet Supply by visiting any of our four locations in Moyock and Hampton Roads or order online.