There’s a good chance your pet has a better life than you do.
They have their favourite spot on the sofa, a selection of toys they mostly ignore and possibly a more expensive diet than the rest of the family. Some even have their own Instagram accounts, although I’m fairly sure the dog isn’t particularly bothered about how many followers it has.
We’ve become a nation of people who treat our pets like children, and I’m not sure that’s necessarily a bad thing. After all, they’re part of the family, even if they occasionally eat something disgusting they find in the park or leave a suspicious present on the living room carpet.
But while we’ll happily spend a small fortune keeping them entertained, how many of us are actually prepared for the day something goes wrong?
Nobody Plans an Emergency for a Sunday Evening
It’s always the most inconvenient time, isn’t it?
You’re settling down to watch something on Netflix, the local vet closed hours ago and suddenly your dog starts behaving strangely. Or perhaps your cat has decided that the ribbon from a birthday present looks particularly appetising.
The first instinct is usually to Google the symptoms, which, as anyone who’s ever searched for a minor headache will know, isn’t always the most reassuring experience.
The problem is that when something happens to an animal we love, common sense can occasionally go out of the window. We’re worried, we’re stressed and we’re trying to work out what to do next.
Having a plan before any of this happens might not sound particularly exciting, but it could save an awful lot of panic.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
We insure our cars, keep spare keys and generally know what to do if the boiler breaks down. Yet many pet owners probably couldn’t tell you where their nearest out-of-hours veterinary clinic is.
It’s worth spending half an hour getting a few things organised. Save your vet’s emergency number in your phone, find out what happens when the surgery is closed and check exactly what your pet insurance covers.
If you don’t have insurance, putting a little money aside each month for unexpected veterinary bills is worth considering. Emergency treatment can be expensive, and the last thing anyone wants is to be worrying about money when their pet needs help.
There are also services such as Veteris, which offers emergency care at your door , giving pet owners another option when their usual vet isn’t available.
It’s the sort of thing that’s worth looking into before you actually need it. Much like breakdown cover, you’d rather have the details handy than be frantically searching for them at midnight.
The Small Things We Take for Granted
One of the strange things about having pets is how quickly they become part of your everyday routine.
The morning walk you initially resented becomes something you look forward to. The cat that insists on sitting on your laptop during an important meeting somehow gets away with it. Even coming home to find muddy paw prints across a freshly cleaned kitchen floor becomes part of the deal.
And there’s something rather lovely about having an animal that’s genuinely delighted to see you, even if you’ve only been out to put the bins away.
Of course, all that affection comes with responsibility. As well as feeding them, exercising them and occasionally surrendering your favourite chair, we have to make decisions on their behalf when they’re unwell.
Unlike us, they can’t explain what’s wrong or tell us where it hurts. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to changes in their behaviour, appetite or energy levels and getting veterinary advice when something doesn’t seem right.
It’s Not Just About the Money
We often think of spoiling our pets as buying them things. A new bed, an expensive collar or one of those elaborate scratching towers that your cat will completely ignore in favour of the cardboard box it arrived in.
But perhaps the most valuable things we can give them are a little less obvious.
Time, attention, regular exercise and proper healthcare probably matter far more than another squeaky toy.
It’s also worth thinking about what would happen if you suddenly couldn’t look after your pet yourself. Would a friend or family member know their routine, any medication they take or which vet they’re registered with?
A little preparation can make an enormous difference.
Because They’re Worth It
Nobody wants to spend their spare time thinking about veterinary emergencies, and hopefully you’ll never have to deal with anything more serious than an upset stomach or an embarrassing trip to the vet because your dog has eaten something it shouldn’t.
But being prepared is part of looking after the animals that share our homes and, quite often, run them.
Get the boring stuff organised, keep the important numbers somewhere you can find them and then get back to enjoying life with your pet.
They’ll still steal your side of the bed, demand dinner an hour early and completely ignore that expensive new toy.
And you wouldn’t have it any other way.