Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

As we approach the winter season, the days will get shorter and the temperatures will get colder. Cats might be resourceful, but they still need shelter when the temperatures drop. When the temperatures get really cold, cats can suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Their fur coats sometimes simply aren’t enough to keep them warm. Building an outdoor cat house for kitties can keep your feline friends safe and warm during the coldest part of the year. You might want to build an outdoor cat house for your indoor/outdoor cat when she chooses to leave your home. What about the stray and feral cats that hang out around your house? It’s important for cat parents to take care of the animals in their community. While your cat can stay warm and snug inside your home, community cats may not have a place to escape the harsh cold of the winter. Show the stray cats in your community some love this year by providing them with some winter cat houses to keep them warm and comfy during the winter months. Thinking of building a shelter? 1. Cats need to feel secure, so make sure you place the feral cat house in a safe area away from other animals and car and foot traffic.  2. Also put the outdoor cat winter shelter in a place away from the wind – this will help keep your community cats warm and snug as the temperatures

Does your feline friend turn up their nose at every kibble offering? Are mealtimes a battleground of uneaten food and pleading meows? Well, those days are over! Wellness dry cat food has a brand-new taste that cats love. Our new dry formulas combine irresistible taste with healthy, complete, and balanced nutrition. Why Choose Wellness? Gourmet Flavors That Cats Crave: We understand that cats are discerning eaters. It does not matter if a food is the most nutritious in the world, cats will just eat what they like. Fortunately, Wellness features a variety of mouthwatering recipes your cats will crave like CORE+ Healthy Weight and Complete Health Indoor Chicken. Wellness dry diets are made with real, high-quality ingredients like chicken, salmon, and duck. Our new kibble palatant* enhances the taste sensation and creates a feeling of satisfaction that cats experience with each bite. With the same natural (with added vitamins, minerals & trace nutrients) ingredients your cats enjoy and love but with a new irresistible taste, they will be begging for more! Packed with Essential Nutrients: But deliciousness isn’t all! Food scientists and nutritionists formulate Wellness recipes to provide your cat with all the essential nutrients they need to support a healthy and happy life. As with all complete & balanced Wellness cat food formulas, they support the 5 Signs of Wellbeing™ with healthy skin and coat, healthy digestion, sustained energy, healthy bones and teeth, and immune health. Made with Love (and Science): We use only the finest

If 2020 taught us anything, it was how precious every moment we spend together is and how valuable our health is. So it logically follows that as we make New Year’s resolutions that reflect our past experiences that we do them together with the ones we love most, the ones who’ve never abandoned us, the ones with us through thick and thin: our pets. That’s why we suggest these healthy New Year’s resolution ideas for your pets—they’re fun and easily doable resolutions you and your pets can make together. Food is fuel, which means what you and your pets eat makes a huge difference in your energy, weight and immune system function, to name a few things. During the holidays, almost everyone’s diet slips a little. As you get ready to hit reset, why not consider an entirely new diet that you’ve never tried before? Look for a healthy new diet that you and your pet can try out together. Raw diets: Raw diets are largely plant-based for humans and animal protein-based for pets. For both humans and pets, raw diets are considered to improve certain medical conditions and to have a positive impact on weight. High-protein, low-carb diet: High-protein diets like keto are reportedly excellent for active people and pets as once you enter a state of ketosis, you have more energy. As with raw diets, high-protein diets show favorable results in terms of overall health and medical wellness and with

As the calendar flips over and the confetti settles, the start of a new year is the perfect time to hit the reset button. Whether you’re sipping on sparkling water or nursing a post-celebration snack, January feels like a fresh start, a blank slate for new year goals, habits, and—of course—new year’s resolutions. But what if this year, your resolution wasn’t just about you? What if you and your pet could make wellness resolutions together? That’s right—your furry companion deserves to start the year off on the right paw (or claw). After all, you’re more likely to thrive when you have healthy pets. So, let’s dive into some fun, attainable wellness resolutions that will help you and your pet feel your best all year! One of the most common New Year’s resolutions for humans is to get more active. Why not include your pet in your fitness goals? Whether you’re a dog lover or caring for a cat, there are plenty of ways to get moving with your furry friend. For dogs: You can start by simply increasing the length of your daily walks. Dogs love routine, so why not mix it up with a new route, more intense hikes, or even running with your dog? Apps like “Wag!” or “Rover” also offer interactive play and walking opportunities with other pups in your neighborhood. For cats: While cats may not want to join you for a jog (unless you have

A snow day seems like a fun opportunity to frolic with your dog in the snow and have a good time enjoying winter with your pet. But your dog might not be built for long periods playing in the snow and could experience frostbite or hypothermia. Read on to get pet winter safety tips and find out more about how long it’s safe for your dog to play in the snow. Short-haired breeds and small dogs shouldn’t play in the snow for a prolonged period without wearing gear to keep them warm. They’re losing body heat much faster than breeds that have their own built-in winter coats. If you’re wondering, ‘Does my dog need a coat in the snow?’ and you have a short-haired breed, small dog or older dog, chances are that you should putcold-weather gear like a coat or sweater on them before going on a walk or playing outside. If you need a heavy coat, gloves, hat and a scarf to go outside, chances are, your dog needs an extra layer. Overall, you should probably limit the time your dog plays in the snow to about 30 minutes but be on the lookout for signs of discomfort like shivering or staying by you and seem like they want to go home. Yes, if your dog is outside for a prolonged period in freezing temperatures—and particularly if they get wet—your dog can get frostbite, especially on an exposed

Winter is here! With it, comes several winter pet safety tips. Because as much as your dog may love the cold and snow, a cold dog isn’t always a happy dog for long. So let’s keep those snow pups safe, happy, and healthy as the days get shorter and the temperatures keep dropping with a few important winter tips for dogs. With all that hair, it’s natural to wonder, “Do dogs get cold?!” But, yes, just like humans, dogs in winter and especially dogs in snow can get chilly. It’s best to avoid shaving your dog’s winter coat (of hair, that is!) for the best possible cold weather pet care. Breeds with shorter coats, no undercoat, and smaller dogs may be even more susceptible to the cold and wind. Because of that, you may want to consider investing in a dog winter coat (the jacket kind) that blocks the wind and helps your dog conserve heat if you plan to spend long periods of time outside. Make sure your pup’s jacket covers their entire back and fits snugly without obstructing their movement for the ultimate winter dog safety. Loose jackets or low-hanging straps can get tangled around your dog’s legs while running or snagged on objects, such as branches, during your walks or winter sports with your dog—so finding the right fit for your pet is important. Another winter dog walking tip: Shorter days can also mean walks might sometimes

We love baking cookies for the holidays and one of our favorite cutout cookies are gingerbread men. They’re pretty easy to make and fun to decorate. For this Christmas cookie recipe for dogs, we’re revising the classic gingerbread men recipe and using it for inspiration to make dog cutout cookies. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that’s generally safe for your dog to eat and it might even help with digestive issues, circulation and arthritis. Mixing a small amount into a Christmas dog recipe is a great way to sneak it in without your dog noticing the strong flavor. For this recipe, you’ll need a mixer, a rolling pin and cookie cutters in the shape of dogs for this dog treat recipe. (Sure, you can make some gingerbread ‘men’ too while you’re at it if you want to give you pup the opportunity to eat them up!) You might even want to set aside a few baked dog Christmas cookies to gift a pet lover in your life. Make these gingerbread dog cutout cookies plain or decorate them with fun Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Winter Fun shapes. 2 1/2 Cups of flour (white or whole wheat) 2 Tablespoons of white flour for the cutting board 1 Tablespoon ground ginger 2 Tablespoons of molasses 1/2 Cup of applesauce, unsweetened 1 Egg 6-8 Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Winter Fun Treats, finely chopped Optional: whole treats & peanut butter for decorating  (make sure the peanut

Exercise is essential for you and your dog’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. While there’s nothing like being outside in the sunshine walking or running, enjoying the fresh air and the sights, there are times where it’s too cold to go outside. Taking your dog outside when it’s too cold can damage their paw pads and their nose (never mind that it’s just unpleasant); however, you want both of you to stay active and in shape. These are eight ways to exercise with your dog when it’s too cold to go outside. Games of fetch can easily be played indoors (just don’t throw your dog’s toy too high). Use your living room or a long hallway—wherever there’s uncluttered space—and roll or toss your dog’s toy. Get your workout, too, by racing him to get the toy first. You’ll both be panting (and you’ll be laughing) within minutes. This exercise is almost like a doggy boot camp. If you have stairs in your house, walk up and down the stairs with your dog. This quad work will be fun as you watch your dog bound up and down. Make it extra challenging by racing your dog (or at least trying to keep up as dogs can be pretty zippy when it comes to climbing stairs). Swap your kettle bell for your dog’s favorite toy during your squat sets. Go to a large living space where you normally might do a DIY workout.

The holidays are a wonderful time to show those who you love best how much you care by giving them a little something extra…by treating them with gifts they normally wouldn’t give themselves. Since your pets can never give themselves something extra, the holidays are a great time to load up their stockings with bonus toys and treats that show them how much you love and value their unconditional love and companionship. Here are a few holiday stocking stuffer ideas for your cat or dog! While some pet parents may be wary to give their pets treats all year as they do add calories to an animal’s diet, the holidays are the perfect time to relax and to spoil your pet (and to stocking-stuffer up on treats to share with your pet throughout the coming year!). Treating your pet in moderation is always a good idea! Pet parents can feel good that their pets are enjoying something nutritious. It’s key to find treats that are tasty and made with healthy ingredients; and if they provide a major benefit to your pet (such as a delicious daily dental chew) then that’s an added bonus. These are some of the most delightful seasonal treats to fill your pet’s stocking with: WHIMZEES® Daily Dental Chews for dogs in seasonal shapes. These festive treats are shaped like holiday trees and snowmen, which make them super fun for your dog’s stocking. Meanwhile, they help clean

Behind every great dog Christmas card photo is often a memorable (hopefully a good one!) story of how that holiday photo came to be. Whether Bingo was feeling naughty or nice that day, odds are it took a lot more than one photo to get THE one. But there are a few tips and tricks you can try the next time you’re trying to get that perfect festive dog image in a few less shots—along with a couple of dog Christmas card photo ideas to get you in the spirit. Consider it our gift to you and yours! 1. Practice Makes Perfect – It’s not a marathon (although it might feel like it…), but it’s helpful to train for the big day. Work on “sit” and “stay” commands, get them used to any festive apparel they’ll be sporting, and even start taking more pictures than usual (if that’s even possible!). And, of course, give treats as rewards to start creating warm and fuzzy associations with the whole idea of Christmas card poses with your dog. When it’s time to snap the actual photo, get them ready, give the command, take the photo, then reward them with a special treat like Old Mother Hubbard® Winter Fun P-Nuttier® Oven-Baked Dog Biscuits. 2. Natural Light Is Your Furry Friend’s Friend – No matter your chosen location, great natural lighting will make for a great outdoor or indoor Christmas portrait with pets. If outdoors,

The holiday season is upon us, and the humans in your life aren’t the only ones who deserve extra cheer. Our furry friends—dogs and cats alike—have been good all year, and they deserve some festive goodies too! If you’re looking for stocking stuffers that will make your pets’ tails wag or whiskers twitch, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s explore the best treats, toys, and accessories that will make this the happiest season of all for your furry friends. Before diving into our “paw-some” picks, let’s answer the important question: why should we bother with stuffing stockings for our pets? Well, why not? After all, they’re not just companions—they’re family. Plus, with all the fun and excitement of holiday celebrations, your pets should get in on the action too. Not to mention, pets can get a little FOMO (fear of missing out) when they see everyone unwrapping gifts. So, giving Christmas presents for your dog or cat to unwrap (or tear into!) adds to the season’s joy. So, whether it’s Wellness® Soft & Crunchy Puppy Treats, a new toy to chase, an automatic feeder, or a no-pull harness, stocking stuffers for pets are the little presents that show you care. So, let’s make this holiday season extra special with thoughtful, practical, and fun gifts for your furry best friends! Let’s face it—dogs are treat-lovers. Homemade dog treats are always a fun gift idea. For a quick hit, Wellness® Old

Deck the halls with Santa Claws holiday decorations, hang the personalized dog stockings with care, and bring out all the cute cat and dog holiday wrapping paper—because it’s time for the whole family to get in the holiday spirit. And while your favorite four-legged friend would be just as happy to celebrate with the usual love and hugs…and maybe an extra treat or two…why not treat your BFF to something extra with a special holiday present under the tree? From interactive toys to nutritious treats, and all sorts of cat and dog accessories in between, we’ve worked with our team of pet experts to put together a nice list of holiday gifts for dogs and cats that is sure to make every day that much happier. First things first, let’s start with one of the most important times of day: meal time! When it comes to cat or dog holiday presents that can make one of the best times of day even better, we’re all about increasing the enrichment and happiness of your pet so they can join in on the holiday excitement with one of the gift ideas below. Top Dog Gift STARMARK Treat Dispensing Bob-A-Lot™ Dog Toy This safe and adjustable treat or food dispensing toy will keep your pup happily hunting for more all meal time long. It’s big enough to fit their whole meal inside and durable enough to withstand even the most enthusiastic of eaters.