Keep Your Fur Babies Healthy with Microsoft Calendar Whether you are on team “Fur Babies” or you are on team “It’s Just a Dog” (or cat), staying organized as a pet owner can be challenging, and there are...

Whether you are on team "Fur Babies" or you are on team "It's Just a Dog" (or cat), staying organized as a pet owner can be challenging, and there are many things pet owners need to remember. Thankfully, there are many needs a scheduling app like Microsoft Calendar can meet to help you keep your fur babies healthy. No matter which type of fur baby you have, all their needs can be scheduled using Microsoft Calendar.

Keeping the updates of duties on your radar for your pet can help things run more smoothly. Here are a few needs you can add to your calendar for a more organized pet schedule.

Here are 8 Fur Baby Needs You Can Schedule Using Microsoft Calendar

1. Setting Diet Reminders

Scheduling their diet and feeding info is always a helpful thing to do to help you be on time with feeding your fur baby. For example, you could set reminders for things like: their feeding time, in addition to adding details in Microsoft Calendar about things such as: feeding amount, food type, water bowl refills, and food bowl cleanings. These things are all essential to maintaining your pet's diet and health.

Additionally, most pet owners would probably agree that feeding schedules definitely don't go unnoticed by their pets. Feeding them at set times gets them on a food schedule. This is because their bodies become conditioned to having an appetite at those times. Take cats, for example; If cat owners use timed feeders for their cats, they could probably tell you their cat can hear it dispense food from a mile away.

2. Scheduling Exercise Time

Pets – especially dogs – love a good exercise routine. Adding a recurring event on your calendar for exercise is a great way to keep this going. Some dogs are indeed working breeds by nature, especially hunting, retrieving, and herding dogs. Activating that instinct by scheduling time for their favorite activities is a great way to spark their excitement.

While dogs enjoy walks, runs, fetch, and work, cats love to hunt, pounce, and play. Make time to exercise your cat by allowing them to bat at a string with a toy mouse. Or, perhaps they enjoy it when you hide around a corner so they can jump out and pounce at you. Whatever the case, scheduling time for the basic need of exercise is essential for all pets.

3. Making Vet Visit Appointments

This is one of those dreaded tasks pet owners have a hard time with, which can be highly problematic. Failing to make vet appointments can lead to health issues and hefty vet bills, which is not fun for anyone. Staying on a vet schedule by adding these appointments to your calendar can do wonders for your pets. Aside from being good for your pet, planning vet visits is also good for your peace of mind.

You can schedule vet visits with your vet and add them straight to your calendar, so you don't forget them. Setting reminders in advance, so you remember it's coming up is a surefire way to never miss a vet appointment. It is the right thing to do, but it's the responsibility you have as the pet owner. Your pet – and your vet – will appreciate you taking the proper measures to remember your fur baby's doctor visits.

4. Adding Medications to Your Calendar

Pet medications, especially if they are not needed daily, can be challenging to keep up with. Adding the dates, they need their medicines to your calendar will help you remember things like this. However, some pet medications, like flea and tick, heartworm, and others, have dispense times that are months apart. So if there's no schedule for when medications are needed, how will you remember to administer them at the correct times?

Adding these things to your Microsoft Calendar well in advance is extremely important for your pet's health. However, like vet visits, missing the deadlines for these essential medications can also lead to health issues that will quickly accumulate. Therefore, scheduling medication times is highly recommended to ensure your pet's long, healthy, and happy life.

5. Using a Shared Calendar for Pet Errands

Whether you own a pet alone, with a friend, a roommate, or a loved one, errands are necessary. These errands can include restocking pet food, treats, pet care accessories, pet toys, etc. Organizing time when co-owning a pet is so helpful for keeping their needs met. You could consider collaborating on a pet errand schedule using a shared calendar.

For example, you could schedule when these things are needed and plan on taking turns to pick these things up. This can help prevent stress from falling on one pet owner. If you don't co-own a pet and feel overwhelmed with pet errands, you could consider utilizing a delivery service for these things. Having a system to get these needs met is necessary to maintain your pet's quality of life.

6. Scheduling Grooming Appointments

Grooming appointments, while often thought of as getting a fancy haircut and a new bandana, can also mean other things. Grooming appointments also include things like nail trimmings, dental care, simple bath appointments, and quick hair trims. Besides having grooming appointments on your schedule, remember to schedule them in advance, as they can fill up quickly. Summer haircuts, for example, are something you would definitely want to book early on and plan for in advance.

Your fur babies will appreciate having a fresh fur cut when it's hot outside. And while cats usually take care of their own grooming, their dental care, and occasional claw filing are still important to keep track of. There are always grooming appointments to be made, no matter what type of pet you own. Be sure to schedule them and add them to your calendar, so you don't miss a beat.

7. Prioritizing Socialization

While we all could use more time to socialize with our friends and family, our pets actually benefit from Socialization as well. Ideally, pet play dates, park time, hikes, and taking your pet to work are great socialization activities your pet will love.

There are many mental benefits pets like dogs can obtain from Socialization as well. These things can include: improved play skills, better temperament, and increased emotional intelligence. By socializing pets with playmates at a young age, they can learn different play strategies and better interaction skills. Naturally, introductions to other pets are easier, and their communication skills are better exhibited.

8. Implementing Scheduled Mental Stimulation (training, puzzles, etc.)

Mental stimulation, like physical exercise, is extremely important for pets. If you have a pet whose breed is known to be extremely intelligent, you understand the need for mental exercise. These things can include training sessions, puzzles, or other fun things, like obstacle courses. Of course, activities like these could also fall in the physical exercise category as well, but they are equally as important.

Scheduling time to do these things isn't something everything usually thinks of when scheduling time for their pet. Many think physical exercise will suffice, and it definitely does help. But, offering them mental stimulation through interactive activities is very exciting for your pets.

Concluding Thoughts

Pet owners must remember to take care of many essential things. Because of this, it's important to maintain a process that will help you remember these essential pet needs. Whether daily, weekly, monthly, bi-annually, or annually, each of these activities is important to schedule them in your Microsoft Calendar in advance to avoid forgetting.

It's also good to have a pet schedule handy in case you need someone to help you watch your pets. This way, they know details on when something needs to be done, how often, and whatever else may be relevant. However you manage your pet's needs, these are just a few of the many suggestions to help keep you organized. Most of all, these can help your fur baby live a healthy and happy life.

Image Credit: Ivan Babydov; Pexels; Thank you!

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