Celebrating everything that makes pets brilliant

Hello lovely humans, Ollie here – Chief Cuddle Officer and for the duration of National Pet Month, Ambassador for Pet Appreciation. It's the role I was born for. The team at Ollie & Florrie Vets raised some questions for me to ponder, certainly didn’t object, or may just have been distracted, either way, my shiny new tag is being printed, it’s officially ratified. Let us move on.

Pets are indeed the very best thing that ever happened to people! It’s time to celebrate the positive role companion animals play in people's lives, while gently nudging everyone that we do come with a few essential care instructions.

The case for pets (as if it needed making)

I have observed humangos for sixteen years now, and I can tell you with great authority: you are simply better with us around.

Don’t believe me? The Mental Health Foundation says caring for a pet can help your mental health in many ways, including increasing physical activity, providing companionship, reducing anxiety and boosting self-confidence. That’s the official line.

The unofficial line, from me, is that we are very nice to look at, we are warm and snuggly, and have many excellent opinions about where you should be sitting and the treats we should be getting.

The PDSA’s PAW Report – the biggest study of UK pet wellbeing there is – found that nearly all pet owners (94%) say that owning a pet makes them happy, and 87% say owning a pet makes them mentally healthier. Ninety-four percent! The other six percent, frankly, I feel sad for them – maybe they have allergies (we won’t judge here), I hope they are okay.

What do pets bring to the household?

Wow, what do we bring? What don't we bring?! I'm neglecting my neighbourhood watch duties just writing this, so I've only got time to offer a peek into the wonders of pet companionship...

Doggos, bless them, bring boundless enthusiasm. They will get you out of the house in all weathers, introduce you to other doggos and their humangos at the park, and remind you what pure joy looks like every single time you come home – even if you only popped to the bin. They are honestly the best ambassadors for “living in the moment” that I have ever seen.

We cats bring a different – some might say better, it's an opinion, I won't name names – but certainly an equally valuable contribution. We are excellent listeners, but never gossip. We are masters of the well-timed purr, which is scientifically known for being so soothing (DM me for sources). We are home-based, available for ouchy massages and as portable heaters. And we rarely voice our opinions on your life choices – well, only with our eyes, silently, which barely counts and you can always leave the room if you can't take it.

Younger pets – think kittens skidding sideways into walls, puppies discovering their own tail – are so very amusing. They lift my mood every time they bungle into something, so silly.

Older ones like me, meanwhile, bring something quieter and, I would argue, more sophisticated: wise companionship that has been earned, perfected, and gently honed over many years. Can we all read minds? I can't say, but we absolutely know when you're going to the fridge, so stop trying to hide our favourite treats!

Ahem. Let's leave that there, and now, with my big boss professional hat on...

The responsible bit

Bringing a pet into your life is, as the people at PDSA say, a serious commitment with costs and real obligations attached. Responsible pet ownership boils down to a few sensible things:

• feeding us properly,

• keeping us moving,

• taking us to the vet for the routine stuff before it becomes something not-so-routine,

• microchipping us,

• making sure our environment suits our species – most cats do not want muddy, outdoorsy group walks; while it’s fair to say many doggos do

• and giving us play and companionship suited to our nature.

It's not much to ask. Do those few things and your best doggo or cat buddy will be able to put their best paw forward.

I won't lecture, it's not my style, and there's a magpie out the back window that needs a telling off, so I gotta go. Please just take a moment now to look at your furry fam and feel smug about the choices that brought them into your life and how good they make it. It's good isn't it? Yeah. Then, if you can, give them a treat, a brush, a walk if that’s their thing, or — my personal favourite — a long, uninterrupted nap on your lap at the most inconvenient time. You could even give up your warm patch on the sofa for them, that would be very nice, nudge, nudge.

The Ollie & Florrie Vets team will be back soon with more proper advice on all of the serious stuff: vaccinations, parasite prevention, weight, dental, safe exercise, the works, they know their stuff – tell them if there's anything you particularly want to know about here, they love that (well done team, keep it up!)

Thank you for all you do for the furry ones in your life. You really are doing brilliantly too.

Much love,

Ollie Filippou-Drennen

Chief Pet Appreciation Officer & Biggest Boss of All