Spending Summer Outdoors with your Favorite Furball

Happy first (official) day of summer! The heat picked up quick this season and we know what that means for many pet parents–outdoor adventures with furry friends!

We love to see dogs getting their walks in, sniffing around for enrichment, and soaking up some sunshine. However, high heats and increased numbers of people and pets outside mean it's important to pay close attention and keep your dog safe, comfortable, and happy.

Like any time you’re in public with your dog, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and how your pet is reacting to the other animals, people, cars, and everything happening around them. If their tail is between their legs or their ears are flattened to their head or held low and back they are likely stressed or uncomfortable in the situation.

Other signs to look for are:

• Pacing or restlessness

• Whale eye (When you are able to see the whites of their eyes, they are looking one way with their head and another with their eyes)

• Stiff or tense body

• Lowering or crouching their body (This signals that they feel threatened or scared)

• Avoiding eye contact or avoiding interaction with you

• Licking their lips or Yawning (These are displacement behaviors- normal actions that can be signs of stress when done out of their typical context)

• Whining, whimpering, barking

• Destructive behaviors (Chewing, scratching, digging when they normally would not be)

• Changes in appetite or bathroom habits (An increase of decrease of either)

• Hiding or attempting to escape

  
  

Making sure your pet stays safe from the heat is very important when outside this summer.

Recently, there have been more and more social media postings of “adventure cats” and house cats who love to get some outdoor enrichment. We think this is great!

However, cats require close supervision during these times as the outdoors can pose many risks for them. There are a few ways to show your cat the outdoors without taking them out directly. Catio’s (cat patios) have become increasingly popular, these are outdoor enclosures that can be attached to windows or stand alone outside.