Your Fall Pet Care Reset: What’s Actually Worth Checking in September
September is a weird transition month. At least it is for me and my pets.
Summer routines start disappearing, schedules change, daylight gets shorter, and before you know it, everybody in the house is doing something a little differently.
That makes this a great time for a quick pet-care reset. Not a giant checklist. Not a weekend project. Just a few things worth looking at before fall really gets going.
Check your pet’s medications and food supply.
Do you have enough? Are refills due? Is there anything you’ve been meaning to reorder before you suddenly realize you have two days left?
Look at collars, harnesses, and leashes.
Make sure they still fit and nothing is frayed, cracked, stretched, or hanging on by a thread.
Check ID tags and microchip information.
Especially if you’ve moved (which reminds me I need to update everyone's chip info!), changed phone numbers, or adopted a pet recently.
Take a look at nails, paws, ears, and coat.
These are the things that are easy to put off until they suddenly need attention.
Think about your pet’s activity level.
If walks, outdoor time, or play are changing with the season, your pet’s routine may need to change too.
Pay extra attention to older pets.
Cooler weather and changing routines may make mobility issues more noticeable, especially with stairs, jumping, or getting up after resting.
Notice what your pet is doing differently.
Sleeping more? Following you around more? Avoiding stairs? Less interested in play? Sometimes those changes are nothing, but they’re still worth noticing.
That’s really the point of a fall reset.
You don’t need to fix ten things just because September showed up. You’re simply checking in before life gets busier and making sure the routine that worked a few months ago still works for the pet you have today.
If everything looks good, great. You’re done.
For more info on this topic- check out this recent episode of the show:
Before Fall Gets Busy: Get Your Pet Care in Order
Host
Amy Castro is a professional speaker, author, trainer and consultant, and columnist for Pet Age Magazine. She's the founder and president of Starlight Outreach and Rescue (www.StarlightOutreachandRescue.org), a Houston, Texas area 501c3 nonprofit animal rescue whose mission is to rescue animals from the community, support shelters in providing medical treatment for at-risk pets, community outreach for pet owners in need, and educating pet parents to help keep pets in homes and off the streets.
Amy started the Starlight Pet Talk Podcast in 2023 as an extension of the rescue's education efforts to be able to reach more pet parents and help them solve their biggest problems so they can live their best lives with the pets they love.
Amy is also a proud USAF veteran and has personally fostered more than 3000 animals during her time in animal rescue.
