Animal shelters in and around Austin have seen a major surge in foster applications and pet adoptions since March, as people spend more time at home or simply needed a friend to hug and play with for their kids or themselves, to compensate for social distancing and not being able to see family and friends.
Welcoming a pet into your family so they can comfort us and keep us safe and happy also means that we need to provide for their health and overall well-being.
Pet Exercise
Just like us, our pets – especially cats and dogs – need to "exercise" to stay at a healthy level of fitness.
Some simple exercises your kids can do with your dog and your child will enjoy too, are going for a walk, taking a splash in a river or lake (watch out for bacteria levels!), play fetch, make an obstacle course, take the stairs, blow bubbles, and more.
Cats love to climb and hunt. If you have an indoor cat, bring the outdoors in: get her a cat tree, let him nibble on cat grass, provide them with boxes to hide, allow them to play outside while you watch them or on a screened in patio, or take them for a walk! If you let your cat go outside, make sure they’re safe. Roads as well as many animals in the area (snakes, coyotes, foxes, etc.) that can be dangerous to cats. And of course – play with them. Kids can spend hours playing with cats and love to get rewarded with lots of snuggles.
Pet Nutrition
In addition to plenty of exercise, your pets need the correct nutrition for their physiology. Austin-based family owned and operated pet nutrition company SquarePet have the most solidly nutritious dog and cat meals on the market in both wet and kibble forms. Their veterinarian-formulated recipes offer a wide variety of flavors and helpful nutrients for issues like sensitive stomachs or skin.
The three lines are VFS Skin & Digestive Support dog food, HMLC (high-meat, low-carb) dog and cat food, and SquareEgg perfect protein dog food.
VFS Skin & Digestive Support dog food
The VFS formulation is a veterinary-quality food with limited ingredients. Its novel hydrolyzed protein source may benefit dogs with certain food sensitivities. Exceptionally digestible to be easily absorbed, it is rich in essential omega 3 & 6 fatty acid and provides complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs.
HMLC (high-meat, low-carb)
SquarePet’s main product line, HMLC, is available for both dogs and cats. Short for high-meat, low-carb, both the canine and feline versions come in a turkey and chicken formula that caters to the carnivorous nature of dogs and cats. With 96% (98% for the cat food) of nutritional protein value coming from cage-free turkey, chicken, dried egg whites and salmon meal, HMLC offers a convenient alternative to raw feeding and home cooking.
SquareEgg perfect protein dog food
Leveraging the world’s most perfect protein source, SquarePet developed the SquareEgg dog food line. With a cage-free egg and whey base, it provides an easy to digest and complete protein source. It contains all the essential amino acids required by dogs for optimum growth and health, and it ranks highest in protein bioavailability. Ideal for sensitive stomachs and rotational feeding, SquareEgg dog food is designed for all stages of canine life from puppy to senior.
SquarePet products are available at many pet shops near you, in and around Austin.
Pet Photo Contest
Show us your kids' furry friends and enter your pet for a chance to become the Live Grow Play Austin Pet Of The Year, plus win (1) one bag of SquarePet cat or dog food!
Submission and voting period is open until September 17, 2020.
How to submit: Post a picture of your kids' furry friends (with or without your kiddos) in the comments of our SquarePet Facebook post. The funnier the better! By submitting your photo, you confirm that you have permission to do so.
How to vote: Go to our SquarePet Facebook post and vote for your favorite pet simply by liking your favorite pet's picture in the comments.
The pet with the most Likes wins, so make sure to tell family and friends! The winning pet will be featured on the Live Grow Play Austin Facebook page and receive a bag of cat or dog food. Should your pet win and should you not have any use for cat or dog food, gift it to someone who does or to a local animal shelter!
This is a sponsored blog.
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