Keeping the Love Alive: Tips for Pet Care Motivation
What was your motivation when you decided to bring home that fuzzy little bundle of fur?
Were you looking for companionship? Comfort? That unconditional love that is given by a pet that is unmatched by anything else? Fun? Friendship? Or was it an impulsive decision that happened on the spur of the moment when you saw an adorable picture and just couldn’t resist?
So let me ask you now, what keeps you motivated to do the things that are beneficial for your pet that might not be so warm and fuzzy feeling, like cleaning up that litter box?
We’ve got to have a really deep reason for wanting to do something in order to keep doing it, especially on the days when we’re already tired, already overworked, or just under the weather. And cleaning up after a pet is one of those things that can really be hard to find the motivation to do when you’re already worn out. Even the tasks that are closer to the ‘fun’ category like taking walks, or playing together can be hard some days. And the days when the weather is bad, the last thing that feels enjoyable is walking in the pouring rain to let the pup do their business.
Here’s the thing I’ve learned about motivation, it’s a really fickle thing. It’s never going to come looking for you, you’ve got to go looking for it. And each day that’s going to look a little different.
I’ve long told people that even though my passion is horses, and animals, there are plenty of days when I just don’t want to do it. Right now it’s been hard because the humidity is off the charts and the temps are 85 or more every day with a threat of thunderstorms every afternoon (and sometimes morning, too). That makes finding the time to work the horses difficult because it just doesn’t feel good, and I get so gross and sweaty it necessitates an immediate trip home straight into the shower.
So what do you do to find motivation when things are hard?
Firstly, I reach for my why. Why do I have animals in my life? Because they are fulfilling. Vast majority of the time when I get up and go do whatever needs to be done for them (whether that’s riding out in the heat, making food, walking, or cleaning up after them) I generally feel better having done it than if I just sat on my duff and ignored the task. It’s fulfilling to connect with them through their daily care and life. That why has to be stronger than the hottest days or exhaustion of being over worked when the litter box still needs cleaning.
There are days that the why almost doesn’t seem like enough… so what then?
With animals their basic needs must be met or their quality of life suffers. They require the assistance of our opposable thumbs to receive their food, go potty, and function in our world. We’ve brought them into our world, so we’ve got to care for them, so motivation or not it’s got to be done.
But the basic needs isn’t enough to really provide a quality of life. So how do you get up when you’re feeling exhausted from a day at work to go walk the dog?
Find the joy. Look for the things that you get to see while you’re out on the walk - pretty sunsets, clouds, hearing the birds. The silly antics of the cat day in and out, which you would miss if there were no litter box that needed cleaning. The peace that is found when hanging out with your horse, which you would miss out on if there were no stall to muck. When you’re feeling unmotivated those feelings are what you have to reach for to get you through the drudgery and dirtiest tasks.
In our over stimulated lives, motivation can be hard to come by sometimes, but with our pets we often have to do the tasks regardless of how we feel about it. Being motivated to go the extra mile to give our pets a richer quality of life takes energy in and of itself. Tapping into your why, and looking for those good feelings can help to bring you back to the moment and find the motivation again.
If you want to explore motivation further, come join Natasha Lockey and me on the Riding in the Weeds podcast! You can find us on Spotify, Apple, and all other major podcast platforms as well as YouTube.
