Pamper Your Pet with Eight Great Ideas

With constant fluctuations in pandemic dos and don’ts, many of us are taking the chance to spend more time with our furry friends. A great way to increase the quality of that time is to pamper your pet because you’ll not only be spending quality time together, you’ll also get to show how much you love them.

In this article we’re sharing our five top ways to pamper your pets. From at-home options to luxury away from home options, we’ve got the scoop.

Right this way for more…  

Have a ‘pamper your pet’ day

Schedule a ‘pamper your pet day’ once a month or, even better if you can, once a week.
You can make a list of fun things to do and try out rosters of different combinations each time. The great thing about having a dedicated day for pampering your pet is that it’s scheduled bonding time.

And no matter what the COVID restrictions might be from one day to the next, there’s always going to be stuff you and your pet can do together.

Here are ideas to use for planning your special fur-fun day:

1. Breakfast. Choose a recipe that has food you and your pet can eat together
2. Outings. Check out some pet-friendly cafes
3. A holiday. We’ve got some pet-friendly holiday destinations for you
4. Gourmet pet food. Test out different kinds of special pet food that exist today
5. Grooming. Go to the groomers or Google DIY tips
6. Presents. What better than a tail-ored gift for your cat or dog
7. Pet TV. Sit on the sofa with your furry BFF and watch some much-needed wildlife
8. Pet insurance. Give your furkid a soft landing with their health needs

Now let’s get into these in detail:

1. Breakfast with BFF’s

Whether you choose to have breakfast in or out, there are a lot of delicious options to be had. You might opt to dine out at a pet café, or you might decide to whip up a homecooked feast and eat it in the comfort of home (or order in) 😊. You can also take a packed breakfast to a pet-friendly beach and eat outdoors – only while exercising, for those of us in lockdown.

If a home cooked feast is your ideal breakfast, check out these recipes for pets and people:

• Eating with your cat free cookbook by Fancy Feast
• Recipes you can share with both dogs and cats
• Tasty snacks for humans and dogs

2. Pet friendly outings

There are lots of pet cafes that specialise in tasty menus for pets while catering for human palettes too.

If eating out is more your thing, your style may be cramped by lockdown restrictions. If so, you should still bookmark these delightful spots so you can book a table the moment restrictions ease:

• The Dog Café (VIC)
• Frenchies Café (QLD)
• Iron Bark Café (QLD)
• The Carrington (NSW)
• Naked Brew (NSW)
• The Vic on the Park (NSW)
• Café Bones (NSW)
• The Salty Dog (TAS)

These cafes not only accommodate our pets coming to visit, but some also serve special meals designed for your pet’s taste-bud experience!

Remember to do a bit of Googling as this is by no means the full list. Australia has heaps of pet-friendly dining spots that get a paws up from pets.

3. Pamper your pets with a holiday stay

Whether you’re looking to get out of town for an overnight stay or weekend away, imagine having your pawsome friend along for the experience. Because let’s face it, pets love us unconditionally and hate when we leave them at home while we’re away.

Read our Easter holiday road trip article at any time for a list of websites you can search for pet-friendly accommodation. And if you need mobility equipment/wheelchair-friendly stays then read this pet friendly accessible accommodation article to explore hotels, guest houses, country cabins and boat houses.

Want to up the lux-ometer and have a champagne spa retreat with your dogs? Then try out this West Australian pet retreat which accommodates you and up to two dogs for puppacinos, dog breakfasts and more. You might also want to check out Sydney’s Langham Hotel ‘Pampered Pets Program’ – see here.

And because many of you might be driving to your destination, check out these articles on travelling with pets:

• Pet proof your car
• Travelling with dogs, cats and, horses
• Pets in cars and rules of the road
• Travelling with pets

4. Pamper your pet with Gourmet Pet Food

Nutrition isn’t just the backbone to health, it’s also the path to happiness. Which is why you might decide to pamper your pet with some nutrition-rich pet food. When it comes to selection, Australia’s gourmet pet food industry is booming with choice.

So many, in fact, that we’d never be able to list them here. But we’ve made you a short selection to get started:

• Addiction Pet. We’ve heard good stories about this assisting with dog skin conditions
• Lyka. Freshly cooked and delivered
• Gourmet Pet. 100% raw food with no additives
• Raw and Fresh. Need we say more

Also, read up on reducing our carbon pawprint with eco-friendly dog food.

5. Grooming, spa, makeovers!

Grooming is one of those must-haves that keeps going on and off the roster of what’s allowed during lockdown.

Depending on what breed of dog or cat you have grooming might be anywhere between a weekly essential to an occasional nice-to-have. And because there’s nothing better than petting your freshly groomed pet, why not take it a notch up. By that, we mean full treatment options, including grooming, spa, beauty, styling and makeovers!

Here’s a (by no means exhaustive) list of Australian groomers:

• Dogue (NSW & QLD)
• Pooch and Hound (NSW)
• Murphy’s Paw (VIC)
• Kylie’s Cat Grooming (VIC)
• Dogs Day Afternoon (VIC)
• Pretty Kitty (VIC)
• The Pink Poodle (VIC)
• Rollover Beethoven (VIC)  

Once you’ve pampered your pet with a salon treatment, you won’t have to worry about muddy paws on the bed. Speaking of which, read why sleeping with your cat and sleeping with your dog in bed has potential health benefits.

6. Pamper your pet with gifts!

Cats and dogs have lots of favourites. They have favourite places to hang out at home, favourite places to go for outings, favourite games, and favourite foods. Getting your pet a new gift is a great way to add a new favourite.

Here are some great feline and doggo gift options:

1. Cat gifts (take note of the discount code)
2. Dog winter jackets and other winter warmers

7. Pet TV to wind down your day

Now that we’ve given you a full itinerary to choose from, a great way to wind down during a pamper your pet day is on the sofa. Read cat tv for a feline screen time selection and below is a chill video for your dog.

(PS: Don’t feel bad if you leave your pet watching and decide to head to another room and watch a human channel). 😊

8. Pet insurance: A great way to pamper your pet

Pet insurance isn’t just for your pet – it’s for you too. It’s an affordable way to ensure health and medical treatment for your pet in times of need. And it allows you to focus all your attention on them instead of your pocket.

Check out the award-winning pet healthcare plans from PD Insurance now.