How To Be Close To Your Cat or Dog

This article outlines the different ways that we can develop closeness to our cat or dog and create long lasting bonds between you.

I would like to share with you the 9 ways to bond with your cat or dog, especially for young kittens or puppies who have just come into your household.

Attention

Give your kitten or puppy full attention when you pet, stroke her ears, scratch her under the chin, or belly rub her.

I know that it is very tempting to pat your cat or dog when watching television, on the computer or phone. Please refrain from doing this from now on. Your pet is a very sensitive being and can pick up vibes from you that you are not fully focused on her and this will lead to her having a sense of being unloved.

Read their Body Language

Learn to hear what your cat or dog is telling you with his or her body language

Every moment your pet is trying to tell you her feelings, for example, jumping up excitedly when you come home is telling you how much she missed you. Other signs are like wagging her tail, snuggle close to you, licking you. So, learn what she is saying and respond to her as appropriate.

Be Consistent

Communicate with your cat or dog visually in a consistent manner

Pets respond to visual stimulus and your tone of voice, not the actual commands. So, all commands have to be communicated with tone of voice and visual sign, like say Sit, or No. This has to be consistent or else your pet will be confused and do not know how to react. Taking the example ‘Sit’, combine the command with a hand signal of your hand moving down and making her do the sit position whenever you give this command and hand signal.

Quality Time

Spend quality one on one time with her. Spend at least 30 minutes with her just sitting together

Cuddle Her

Have a good cuddle session. Cuddle up once in a while. Pets love to be cuddled.

Fun Time

Fit in some fun time for her whether fetch or whatever activity that she finds fun.

Different pets will find different activities to be fun. So, find out what excites her and fit in some time to play her favourite activity with her, be it fetch, running round in circles, tug of war. Some dogs like to play tug of war where he or she will bite her toy and ask you to get it from her.

Walk Your Dog

Make your walks as opportunity for communication time

Most dogs look forward to the time when you take her out for a walk. She will be overly excited and may strain on her leash. Use this time to communicate with her and train her on more commands and use this time to do obedience training.

Give Them Some Space

Give each other some space and time alone. It is imperative that you give each other some private time alone. During these times, just communicate clearly to her that this time slot, you need to do your work and she should not disturb you and encourage her to rest, and to be alone.

Be Cool

As pointed out in early in this article, cats and dogs are sensitive beings and can pick up our vibes in our tone of voice. So, if you are angry or stressed out, your pet can pick it up and therefore should be avoided when with her. She will then also feel stressed and scared of you and thereby causing a rift between you and her.

That is all! Have a roaring good time with your beloved pet.