22/09/2025
The benefits of regular walks and visits beyond exercise and potty breaks:
Pictured below are 2 of my personal kitties, Xi (pronounced like anXIety) and Aslan, a.k.a. Tiny! Xi has been my very good boy since before C9C even existed! Prior to having our office space, a lot of our staff training, orientation, and meetings were conducted at my residence!
This meant that Xi got to meet a LOT of people! At first, he was quite shy and would hide when visitors came over, even friends or family. Over time, he became much more social and outgoing!
Regular positive interactions with other people, plus confidence building and enriching activities like leash walks, have helped Xi blossom! On the flip side, my youngest cats, Tiny being 1 of them, have NOT had this experience. This comes out in various forms, including a recent vet visit. Notice the difference in body language and demeanor in Xi (sitting tall, hair is not standing on end, pupils normal) versus Tiny (hiding in my jacket turned kitty fort, pupils very dilated, face tense).
This also applies to my other kitties; the older one, Nala, will come out and greet guests squeakily, whereas the younger one Kenai, will hide.
SOCIALIZATION, CONFIDENCE BUILDING, and ENRICHMENT are all factors that occur during routine visits. It is crazy to me to see the difference in my 2 older cats who got lots of positive exposure, compared to my 2 older cats that did not have this opportunity. Even if you work from home or play fetch with your dog in the backyard, we are dedicated, skilled, and experienced to provide structured socialization and enrichment to pets of all kinds in a manner that sets them up for success in other areas of life, too!
