Did you know the average pet owner spends forty minutes each day with their pet? That is according to The Book of Times: From Seconds to Centuries, a Compendium of Measures, by Leslie Alderman. The book takes a closer look at how we Americans spend our days.
And interestingly while the amount of money we spend on our pets each year as a country nearly doubled between 2001 and 2012 – the amount of time we spend with them has remained relatively constant.
But this post we found on Mother Nature Network has 3 simple suggestions on how to spend more quality time with your fur kids (without calling in sick):
“..Pets thrive from the attention of their owners. And study after study has found that time spent with pets equates to better health for people, too. So why not invest a few extra minutes each day to showing your favorite furry or feathered creature some love? Here are three ways to fit more time with your pet into your already busy schedule.
Capture little moments. You don’t need hours of free time to show your pet some love. Talk to your pet while your doing chores around the house. It doesn’t matter what you talk about, just be sure to look in his eyes and let him know he has your attention. Use your evening TV time to brush or dog or let your kitten snuggle on your lap while you read to the kids.
Practice makes perfect. Too busy to toss a ball in the backyard? You can still give your doggie some attention by taking advantage of your time while making dinner, folding the laundry or doing paperwork to help your pet practice his obedience skills – assuming he has some skills to practice in the first place. He can practice sit-stays, lay-down-stays, and even fetching a rolling ball if these are skills you’ve worked on before. Keep the sessions easy and light – just enough to give him a skills refresher and let him soak up some attention.
Let her tagalong. If your dog or cat enjoys a change of scenery, consider taking him along in the car or on a walk the next time you have to run a few quick errands. Just be sure that your errands won’t leave your pet behind in the car for an extended period in the heat or cold.”
The article ends by posing a question, “How much time do you spend with your pet each day?”
We were wondering the same thing.. is 40 minutes an accurate average estimate?
Let us know…
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