Fall Fun With Your Furry Friends
Harvest time with your furry friend
Alright, folks! It’s time to lean in to the full Autumn experience and bring our pets along for the adventure!
We can enjoy the crisp, cool air, brightly coloured leaves, and snuggly warm sweaters. And, of course, we can love Fall even more if we get our pets in on the act because, let’s face it, pretty much everything is better with our furry friends having fun right along with us!
Whether it’s embracing the great outdoors or the cozy indoors, you can spend time with your pets and appreciate all things Autumn!
So, how can you and your pets take full advantage of the Fall season? Let’s talk about it!
Visit a Pumpkin Patch with Your Pup
Nothing says Fall like a visit to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard. What would be better than taking along your furry friend to enjoy the day?
Many of these farms are pet friendly as long as you keep your dog on leash and your dog is well-behaved. But you will need to check with the farm first to ensure your pet is welcome.
If your dog is comfortable around other people and dogs, this may be a fabulous outing for your canine companion. If they’re not, it’s an outing that may cause a great deal of anxiety to both you and your pooch.
Be sure to find out the rules for your dog beforehand so everyone can relax and enjoy the day.
For instance, these are some common rules:
Ensure that the farm is pet-friendly before you arrive and know the rules.
Keep your dog on leash with a standard, non-retractable leash.
There may be restricted areas such as corn mazes, farm stores, hayrides and petting zoos. This is for the protection of your dog, other animals and fellow patch visitors.
Always be sure to have extra waste bags and clean up any messes immediately.
Having your dog use a pumpkin as a personal pee spot is not okay. Try to walk your dog so they can relieve themselves before you wander out into the pumpkin patch. If your dog likes to mark their territory everywhere they go, keep them away from the pumpkins and gourds.
Take advantage of the day and take pictures. But, also, be sure to enjoy the day! Don’t spend so much time trying to force the perfect moment that you forget to just relax and have fun.
Pumpkin Patch Fun
A happy pup enjoying the season!
Set Up a Bird Feeder for Your Cat to View From Indoors
Does your indoor cat love to watch birds and animals from the safety of a windowsill or other perch in your home?
This time of year is very active for birds as they migrate and animals such as squirrels and chipmunks as they prepare for the Winter.
Set up feeders that are visible from your cat’s favourite window perch so your cat can view them but also far enough away that the outdoor creatures feel comfortable and welcome to enjoy the treats you provide.
You’ll be helping the birds and animals and providing mental stimulation for your feline friend. Sounds like a win-win!
Visit the Beach With Your Dog
While we think of Summer as the perfect time to visit the beach, Fall can be a wonderful time to take your dog to the beach.
The crowds have vanished, the air and beach are more comfortable for your dog, and the water should still be reasonably warm, especially in early to mid-Autumn.
Many beaches lift some of the restrictions on dogs. This may still mean that you have to restrict your off-leash activities to certain beach areas, but more areas may be open to welcoming your pup.
Give your dog plenty of time to enjoy the new scents and sights of the beach and enjoy play time with your dog. Even dogs who don’t enjoy swimming can frolic in the sand, especially now that it’s not in danger of burning their paw pads.
Just be sure that you keep safety in mind. Take along warm towels and dry your dog immediately to protect them from cool Fall winds. Keep an eye out for earlier sunsets when the temperatures will drop quickly.
Even though it’s not as hot as a Summer day, it may still be warm and your dog still needs to be hydrated so be sure to bring along plenty of fresh water.
Also, be aware that the weather can shift rapidly in Autumn so you need to be ready to retreat to safety if the weather turns. Waves and currents can be more tumultuous, as well, so keep a close eye on your dog if they’re in the water.
For more tips on taking your dog to the beach, check out our handy guide to a day at the beach with your dog.
Set Up an Autumn “Busy Box” For Your Cat
If you have an indoor cat, coming up with new and creative ways to entertain them is both fun and necessary to keep them mentally stimulated.
For a Fall twist, grab a cardboard box that your cat easily enter and exit.
Cut a few hole in it so they can peek and reach inside. Throw in a few twigs and leaves from non-toxic trees such as maples, beech, birch, and fruit trees such as apple or pear.
Add some feathers, some twine, string, or wool, some maple keys, and a few Fall treats. And don’t forget the catnip or silvervine to stimulate your kitty to play.
This busy box will activate your cat’s hunting instincts and keep them entertained. This, in turn, will keep you entertained as you watch your little predator take on the contents of the box!
You can switch out the contents throughout the season to add fresh treats and different leaves to keep your kitty on their toes.
Go For a Forest Hike With Your Dog
What better way to immerse yourself in Fall than a walk in a forest, filled with so many shades of Autumn colours?
Your canine companion will love all the scents of Fall and will adore a trail hike with their favourite human.
Here, in Canada, we are so lucky. Even our cities have city parks filled with trees, many trails to explore, and Mother Nature is right on our doorstep for many of us.
Whether it’s a gentle walk in a park, a winding country road, or a hike through the mountains, take advantage of the temperate weather and get out and enjoy it with your furry friend!
A Walk in the Woods
Whether it’s a walk in the park, a country lane, or a hike in the woods or mountains, your dog will love being with their humans.
Build a Cozy Kitty Nap Nest
As the days grow shorter in the Fall, you may find your cat is spending more time napping as they adjust to the rhythms of the season. This is perfectly normal.
Why not build a cozy little nest for your feline friend close by so you can watch them?
If they enjoy stretching out on a windowsill to watch the world, give them a comfy blanket, a self-warming pillow, or their favourite cat bed to snuggle in, at a height where they can still watch the world.
If they prefer a cozy, quiet spot, try a cat cave, or tuck a plush bed under the side table by your chair so they can be close but have their own little nest.
Personally, I love my cat snuggled in my lap. But my second favourite of his nap spots is somewhere nearby where I can hear his little kitty snores. It makes my heart smile!
Leaf Peeping With Your Pup
Leaf peeping, for those who don’t know the term, is when you travel to view and photograph the changing Autumn leaves. Whether it’s to a local park or further out into the wilds, the views can be breathtaking!
If you have a car-loving pooch, take them along and turn it into a day of adventures.
Be sure to stop in safe spots to take pictures, to soak it all in, and to allow your canine friend to explore and sniff all the new sniffs.
You may even sneak in a little picnic or a hike with your furry friend to make it extra special.
Leaf Peeping
It’s worth it to take a drive to find this kind of view. Taking your favourite pooch along makes it even better.
Harvest Catnip For Your Kitty
If you have grown catnip in your garden or know a safe spot to forage for it, collect some catnip to dry for your feline friend.
If you are foraging, be sure that you can identify the plant correctly, that you know that it hasn’t been treated with chemicals, that it’s not in the ditch beside a very busy road where all the exhaust settles, and that you have permission to be on the land where you collect it.
I’m lucky that it grows wild on our property and I know that it’s safe.
Collect together 3 or 4 stems and tie them at the bottom with a rubber band or string. Hang it upside down in a dark, dry place such as a garage for 1 to 2 weeks until it’s completely dry and crumbles between your fingers.
Alternately, you can dry it in a dehydrator or in a low-heat oven.
You can remove the leaves from the stems and roughly crumble the leaves before storing them in a glass mason jar or other sealable container.
The catnip can be used in cat toys or sprinkled on the floor to stimulate your cat to play or to relax them.
For more information about all things catnip, check out this Purrs and Wags guide.
Fall Photos With Your Furry Friends
Whether it’s at a pumpkin patch, in a park, in your own yard, or in your living room, you can have so much fun taking photos of your furry friends. A few hints for catching those fun moments:
Dress them up in a cute bandana, a cozy sweater, or wrapped in a colourful scarf.
Get down to the level of your pet to capture them at face level, rather than from above.
Bring along treats or squeaky toys to get your pet’s attention.
Toss a ball or toy to capture your pet in action.
If photographing inside, set up a little scene with some pumpkins, a few brightly coloured leaves, gourds, a straw bale, or a rustic wooden crate or basket and plenty of light.
If you photograph your pet outside in a pile of leaves, be sure to check the pile first for any dangers such as sharp objects and check your pet afterwards for ticks. They love to hide in leaf debris.
If you aren’t confident with a camera, you can hire a professional photographer. They know all the tricks for capturing that perfect shot.
Embracing Autumn
A beautiful Fall moment captured.
Final Thoughts
Fall in Canada is usually a fairly short season. By the time Halloween rolls around, many parts have had snow and the peak of Fall colour has vanished.
We certainly don’t make it to the official start of Winter without feeling some of its effects.
So, we need to embrace Autumn while it lasts. Whether it’s cozy moments snuggled up with our furry friends, or exciting romps in the crisp, cool air, we can take it all in and savour this time with our feline and canine companions.
