It’s that time of the year when we get little glimpses of sunshine and blue sky on a more regular basis. The better weather keys us into that wonderful hope: Spring is coming!  With better weather also comes that little birdie’s voice in our heads that inspires (or nags) us to do some cleaning, organizing and to generally take stock of what we have, what we’ve done and what we plan to do.

I want to encourage all you pet owners out there to include your animals when the spring cleaning fever gets you.  Here are some basics to keep in mind to see if your pets need any overhauling of their own:

• Check out your pet’s living quarters: Is your cat’s scratching post coming apart? Has your dog’s bed seen better days?  How’s did your rodent’s cage hold up this year…are there any broken bars or rusty hinges?  Take a look at the things your pet  uses on a daily basis and make sure they are in good shape…if not, it’s time to replace!
• Check your pet’s medical records: Is your animal due for their annual exam or for any immunizations?  Has your pet moved from the adult stage to senior status?  Does your veterinarian recommend anything different this year?  Give your vet office a call and find out!
• Check your pet’s diet: If your pet has gone from baby to adult or adult to senior since last spring, they are due for a diet change.  Check out your current bag of food (or look it up online if you’ve thrown the bag away) and read the recommendations. Then call your vet’s office to find out what they think.  An excellent diet is your pet’s first defense against disease.
• Take a good look at your pet’s toys: Play things get, well, played with, which can cause damage depending on how aggressive your pet is.  Pay special attention if you have birds, rodents or ferrets, or an aggressive canine chewer as these animals need their toys examined regularly to ensure they are safe and effective.
• Take a good look at your pet emergency plan: If you don’t have one, visit http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm to make one.  I will cover this in depth with an article soon, however I will tell you to start sooner rather than later.

Our pets depend on us to take care of them! Include your pets in your plans for today and the future and you both will benefit!