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1. Responsible Pet Care

2. Pets need a lot of love and
attention, and different pets
have different needs. We are
going to discuss the many
things our pets need to be
happy and healthy.
Pets are part of the family!

3. What do my pets need?
• Food
• Water
• Shelter
• To be clean
• Exercise and play
• To be safe
• To be healthy
• Love!

4. Food & Water
Pets need special food created just for them:
• Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and other small animals need
to eat pellets, fresh veggies and hay.
• Dogs and cats need dry kibble or wet canned food.
• Birds need seeds specific to their breed and fresh fruits.
• Reptiles such as bearded dragons and iguanas eat fruits
and veggies, but other reptiles, such as snakes need to
eat meat.
• All pets need fresh water everyday.

5. Did You know…
• Some “people food” can harm your pets!
– Cats and dogs cannot digest milk.
– Chocolate, raisins/grapes and onions are very harmful
to most pets.
– Carrots are not the best thing to feed rabbits.
Before getting a pet, it is
very important to research
what they should and
should not eat!

6. Shelter
Just as pets need their own special food, pets
need their own special place to live:
• The safest place for a cat to live is indoors with you.
• Dogs enjoy living inside with you, but often enjoy spending
some time outside during the day.
• Rabbits and other small animals enjoy living in hutches
indoors or special cages designed just for them.
• Reptiles enjoy living in aquarium enclosures and need special
heating lamps to keep them warm.

7. Keeping Clean
• Some pets have a fur coat. It is important
that they get brushed regularly to keep
their fur tangle-free. It also helps to
reduce shedding.
• Some pets, such as cats and rabbits,
groom themselves. Other pets, such as
dogs, need to be groomed more often,
or whenever dirty.
• Other pets, such as reptiles, do not need
to be bathed, but could occasionally use
a wipe down with a wet towel.

8. Keeping clean also involves…
• Teeth:
Some pets, like dogs, need chew toys or
bones to keep their teeth healthy and
clean. Some dogs and cats also need their
teeth to be brushed regularly. Small animals,
such as rats and rabbits, need chew items
to keep their teeth short because their teeth
continuously grow.
• Nails:
Cats, dogs, rabbits and eve some reptiles
need their nails to be trimmed.

9. Nail Clipping & Hair Trimming
• Nails of pets should be clipped once
increase in size and become sharp
to avoid injuries and disease
transmission to ourselves.
• Hair must be combed on regular
basis to avoid knots and wounds in
hair and skin respectively.
• Hair trimming is a must in summer
season to avoid heat stress and keep
animals tick and lice free.

10. Exercise and Play
There are many ways pets can
get exercise and play:
• Nearly all pets love to play with toys.
There are toys for all types of animals.
• Dogs love to go on walks, play at the
park, or play on the beach.
• Cats love to climb on their posts and
interact with prey-like objects.
• Rats and other small animals love to run
on their wheel.

11. Did You Know…
Training classes are a great way
to teach your dog obedience
and tricks. It is also a fun way for
your dog to get exercise, play,
and build a positive relationship
with you.

12. Safety
• It is important for cats and dogs to wear collars
and identification tags.
• It is also important for pets to have a microchip.
– A microchip is a very small object, about the size of
a grain of rice, that serves as a permanent I.D. It is
inserted under the skin and between the animal’s
shoulder blades, as if the animal were receiving a
vaccination. Veterinarians and shelter workers use a
special scanner to determine if an animal has a
microchip. If a microchip is found, and it is
registered, they can call the owner and reunite
them with their pet.

13. Out for a Stroll
Anytime pets leave their home, it is
important for them to be on a leash.
Some cats and
rabbits enjoy going
for a walk on a
harness and leash!

14. Deworming
• It is a term used for the worms inside the body of our pets
that are harmful and cause health issues.
• To avoid such issues, pets must go through deworming
after every three months to keep them healthy and happy.

15. Staying Healthy
• To keep our pets healthy, it is important
to have annual visits to a veterinarian.
– You may need to take your pet to a veterinarian at
other times if they become sick or injured.
• It is also important for pets
to stay up to date on
vaccinations and receive
flea and tick medication.

16. Spaying and Neutering
When animals are spayed and neutered
they live longer and healthier lives.
• Spay: An operation on a female animal that
prevents her from having babies.
• Neuter: An operation on a male animal that
prevents him from fathering any babies.

17. Spaying and Neutering also…
Helps reduce pet
overpopulation, which
is when there are too
many animals and not
enough homes.
In 6 years a female cat
and her offspring can
produce over 360,000
cats!
In 6 years a female dog and
her offspring can produce
over 67,000 dogs!

18. Responsible Pet Owners…
Make sure their pets are:
Clean
Safe
Healthy
Give their pets:
Food & water
A comfortable place to live
Exercise and play
AND…

19. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND QUESTIONS,
CONSULT A PROPER VETERINARY PHYSICIAN
AND PRACTITIONER REGARDING HEALTH OF
YOUR PET AND THE PRACTITIONERS AVAILABLE
IN YOUR CITY ARE