Tips to Confidently Care for Your Cat and Dog's Well-Being
Nov 17, 2025
Caring for your pet goes far beyond providing food and shelter — it includes supporting their emotional, physical, and mental well-being. By taking the time to bond with your pet, manage their stress, and create a stimulating environment, you can help your furry friend live a happier and healthier life.1,2
Whether you’re a first-time pet owner or looking to strengthen your relationship with your cat or dog, these tips can help you confidently care for your pet every day.
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Bond with Your Pet
Building a strong bond with your pet sets the foundation for positive well-being. Bonding begins with your animal from the moment you first meet them, by teaching them they can trust you, strengthening the communication between the two of you.
From there, regular interaction, affection, and playtime will help your pet feel secure and connected to you. Taking your pup on a walk can improve your dog’s well-being, too.2
Help Your Pet Deal with Stress
Just like humans, pets can experience stress caused by such conditions as a chaotic environment, environmental changes, loud noises, and unfamiliar people or animals to name a few. Recognizing your pet’s stressors and addressing any issues early can prevent long-term anxiety, behavioral problems, and negative physical reactions.
Recognizing stress in your animal
Signs of stress vary depending on your pet, but some common ones to look out for are:3,4
- Increased vocalizations
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Hiding
- Low appetite
A stressed cat may also start urinating outside of the litter box or acting aggressively.3 A dog may shed, act avoidant, or pant when not exercising or trying to cool down.4
How to help
Start by identifying the source of your pet’s stress and, if possible, remove the stressful element. Focus on creating a calm, predictable environment in your home for your pet. Provide a quiet, safe spot for them to go when they are feeling scared or overwhelmed, such as a crate for a dog or cat tree for your feline friend.3,4
Playing with your pet and ensuring they get plenty of enrichment and exercise can go a long way in reducing stress. If your pet still seems stressed despite your efforts to de-stress them, take them to the vet.4 There could be an underlying medical issue, but if not, anti-anxiety medication could ease your four-legged friend’s stress.3
Create a Safe Environment
A secure atmosphere is essential for a dog’s and cat’s well-being. To create a safe environment, remove potential hazards like toxic plants, easily accessible cords and trash bins, and chemicals. If you have or are adopting an older animal, consider adding rugs to slippery floors for their safety.5
Your pet’s bed, food, and water should be in consistent spots to build a sense of stability. For a dog, the backyard should be properly fenced and walks should be in safe areas. Make sure your cat has a safe hideaway to relax inside, like a cat tree.
Provide Mental Stimulation
Mental exercise helps keep animals’ brains sharp and active, improving cognitive function as they engage their natural instincts.6,7 When dogs and cats don’t get enough stimulation, they can become bored, which can lead to stress and destructive behaviors like overeating, digging, and excessive vocalization.6,7
Good ways to keep dogs mentally stimulated include playing hide-and-seek (with your dog searching for you or for a toy), taking different walking routes, and teaching them new tricks.7
Teaching new tricks to your cat can keep them stimulated as well. So can playing with a laser pointer, hiding treats, and using puzzle toys. A scratching post and climbing structure are also good opportunities for physical and mental feline exercise.8
Establish Routines
Consistency in their routines helps pets feel less stressed and more secure. Keeping feeding times, walks, play sessions, rest periods, and any other activities consistent day by day provides the structure that pets like. Having a stable routine not only supports your pet’s emotional and mental health, but it makes training and behavior management easier for you.
Socialize Your Pet
Socialization plays a key role in shaping your pet’s confidence and comfort around new people, animals, and environments. Ideally, the socialization process will start when your pet is a puppy or kitten to prevent aggressive or fearful responses in the future. Gradually introduce your pet to new people, animals, experiences, objects, and environments, and provide praise and a treat when your pet acts appropriately toward the unfamiliar.9
If your pet seems overly timid or resistant to new things, speak with your veterinarian. They can help you create a plan to best socialize your pet, even if they are an older animal.9
Consider Pet Insurance
Caring confidently for your pet also means being prepared for the unexpected. Even with the best care, accidents or health issues can arise, and vet costs can add up. Pet insurance can help you cover expenses for illnesses, injuries, or medication. MetLife Pet’s Preventive Care add-on can even help provide coverage for behavioral training when recommended by a vet.
Having pet insurance helped some pet parents in California. Their dog, Jasper, was exhibiting aggressive behavior, so they took her to the vet to get an explanation. Jasper’s vet determined that Jasper was acting aggressively out of fear and recommended a course of action. The vet bill was around $1,050, but MetLife Pet covered $950.10
With the right coverage, you can focus more on your pet’s health and happiness and less on the financial impact of care. Get your free quote today to get started.
