Introduce Healthy Habits For Your Pets

      KEY POINTS

• Your pat has routines and can introduce new habits with your help.
• The Habit Loop - Trigger. Routine. Reward - is the same for humans and animals.
• Cats get anxious just like us.  Help them release the stress.  

Researching, implementing, and teaching habits is what I've been focusing on for the past eight years or so. With humans, of course, but then I realized I could also help out cats do the same. 

Tobias, our cat, has excellent eating habits. For that, I have to give credit to my wife, Nevenka. When the veterinarian told us to be healthier, cats should eat smaller portions, but multiple times a day, Nevenka said, "since I am home most of the time, let me work on it." So now Tobias eats 5 AM, 9 AM, 10.30 AM, 2.30 PM, 5 PM, and 9 PM. As my wife said, "He has a little clock in his head" and is always on time. Sometimes a few minutes earlier but never late.  

Because Tobias gets anxious (yes, believe it or not), so I realized, like me, he should also start exercising to release stress. Why is he stressed out, you may ask? Sometimes the cat has to sleep, but then he misses what is going on in the house - very stressful.

So a new habit has been introduced. Tobias exercises first thing in the morning, 5.05 AM, and right before we go to sleep at 8.45 PM. In the morning, I have to wait for him to complete his workout before starting mine. Is this is a habit for him? Well, he follows the same Habit loop that we humans follow.  

Trigger. Routine. Reward.

As soon as I get close to his "laser point," Tobias knows - That is the trigger for his exercise habit. Then it goes the routine - running after the laser point. And then the reward - he goes to sleep. You can't beat this fantastic habit loop and even better reward. 

If you have a cat, dog, or another pet, try introducing them to healthy habits. They will thank you for it. If you have pet insurance, the insurance will thank you for it. You may even get a discount. And your bank account will thank you for it as you will be spending less money on the veterinarians and more time with your healthier pet.

Have fun.

And you should exercise as well, even if you do not have anxiety like Tobias.

P.S. Tobias said hello.

 Braco Pobric is an Internationally Recognized Positive Psychology Expert and Corporate Trainer. He is the bestselling author of Habits and Happiness: How to Become Happier and Improve Your Wellbeing by Changing Your Habits. Braco is a founding member and Chief Happiness Officer of the Life Success Academy Certified Positive Psychology Master Trainer and former globally Certified Trainer and Business Coach for Dale Carnegie Training. He trained over 60,000 Students in 172 countries.