To celebrate National Pet Month (April), Cambridgeshire housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has teamed up with leading animal charity Wood Green to provide pet owners with advice on looking after their fur-friends as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.
Changes in lifestyle during the last year have been significant for our pets, and as lockdown is easing, their lifestyles will inevitably alter once again. For example, owners returning to work or attending social events will be a big adjustment, and some pets will need a bit of preparation to help them.
To help its Cambridgeshire residents with this, Barratt and David Wilson Homes has partnered with the Godmanchester-based animal charity. The charity takes in unwanted and lost pets, provides shelter and care, finds secure and loving homes, provides advice and guidance to pet owners and increases public awareness of responsible pet ownership.
Wood Green’s top tips for preparing your pets for leaving lockdown are:
Begin changing your routine early:
If you know when you’re going to be returning to your office, start to change your routine to fit the new schedule a week or two in advance. For example, walking and feeding your dog at the times you would before and after work.
Prepare your dog for visitors:
The past year has prevented our dogs from meeting people in their homes, so they will have grown used to not having visitors. For last year’s puppies, they may never have experienced it at all and may find it stressful.
To help with this investing in a baby gate could prepare your dog. Give your dog a tasty chew so when you do have visitors, they will already be familiar with being behind the barrier with something fun to do.
Another tip to help with this is to ask your visitors not to look at your dog or give them direct eye contact in the beginning. This unsettles many dogs, and can make worried dogs even more frightened.
Get your dog familiar with old friends again:
If you have friends and family members that your dog has already met on walks and is familiar with, invite them inside (when permitted to do so). Having familiar people inside the house will prepare your dog for having other people visit.
Will Phair, Sales Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Cambridgeshire, said: “These tips from Wood Green are a great way for our residents to ensure their precious animals have a stress-free lifestyle change as we exit lockdown.
“We’re seeing many house hunters with cats and dogs looking for locations with plenty of open space, and our Cambridgeshire developments offers just that.
“We also have spacious properties available meaning even the most pampered pooches will fall in love with their new surroundings.”
Barratt Homes is currently building properties in Cambridgeshire at Hampton Water in Peterborough, Romans’ Edge in Godmanchester and Darwin Green in Cambridge
David Wilson Homes is also currently building in Cambridgeshire at Romans’ Edge and Northstowe near Cambridge and will soon launch homes at Trumpington Meadows in Trumpington.
Wood Green offers free advice and support about all aspects of pet ownership. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the charity’s friendly team on 0300 303 9333 or visit woodgreen.org.uk.
For further information about any nearby developments, please visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or www.dwh.co.uk, or call the sales team on 033 3355 8484 or 033 3355 8485.