How To Keep Your Pets Happy While You Work

Sure… you’re busy, I’m busy, we’re all busy. Some are more busy than others, yet wherever we draw the line & declare that our physical labors are done, there are always things to learn, loved ones to make known you think of them, fingernails to paint, hell, I don’t know, but through all this, we can still make our scaly, feathered, and furry friends as happy as can be. You’re about to know how.🦎🐦🐁

You can tend to your plants and birdbaths; clean up that porch roof tear-off and rebuild from the water leak; scrape the wood that remains and prep all for painting; toss debris into the 5 gallon bucket from the siding being ripped off; carry many a heavy things from the basement and sterilize them outside before putting them in the garage because your basement is getting “water-proofed;” and all the while remain stoic about this, try not to cry about the savings being wiped out because you knew this was coming, be grateful you had it. CAN YOU BELIEVE THESE TYPES OF THINGS CAN BE DONE WITH YOUR PETS BY YOUR SIDE MOST OF THE TIME?!

These are but some of the things happening around here lately and Murph saw much of it. He did not, however, witness the guys “water-proofing” the basement. Regarding hydrostatic pressure (I don’t know about this company, I simply chose a link for descriptive purposes), there is no such thing as water-proofing, what’s really happening is water diversion. Murph likes to watch activity, but he needed no part of their jack-hammering around the entire interior perimeter of the basement floor, weep hole drilling, and all the concrete dust. These were surely loud enough to hurt his ears had we gone down there.

The foreman of the crew thought Murph is awesome as he spotted Murph resting across my bent arm as I filled a dish on the ground (one-handed) with fresh water for the creatures outside, and later when we all saw him replacing grass on a grate in a trench the crew dug for further water control. He said his Beardie would never hold still like that. Well, no one is like another. Murph is definitely awesome!

See, our being extremely busy doesn’t mean we can’t be with our animals or that they can’t go outside with us as we work. Here’s some things you can do:

•GIVE A WINDOW VIEW – Place your little one, assuming it’s not too active, at the window while you toil in the kitchen. Just don’t leave the room while they are there. You can place something soft onto the sill or near it for comfort. Just a suggestion: Place a sturdy prop under that window if it is a vertically opening design. Every window that doesn’t work had a day when it failed. We have a window, the kitchen one, unfortunately, that we prop open with a thick, wooden plank because an interior mechanism failed before we moved here. Believe me, even small windows are way heavier than presumed (I am not sure why all windows don’t open horizontally anyway). This sort of weight falling onto our tiny animals will do irreparable harm & they will suffer until they die. It is better to be safe than sorry here. Don’t use anything plastic for a fail-safe. Whatever you use needs to be durable. You can do this in any room. My bed is currently under a window, so I rest Murph on a bunch of pillows until he is high enough for the sun in the west to shine upon him when I’m in there cleaning. If I weren’t so used to his being by me, I could easily be so focused on the task at hand as to forget his quiet self is over there.

•PLAYPENS – If you have a glass-sliding door or a storm door with an all-screen insert and it’s safe for a pet to enjoy sunlight and fresh air, there are playpens made just for animals. Some are like miniature metal cages, but much of what you’ll find are open-topped, consisting of nothing but expandable walls to keep them from roaming far. They may enjoy looking out as you clean, enjoy an art, or do computer work. These are great for some reptiles (small-medium, less active sort) and animals of the rodent variety. *Safe – meaning there are no dangerous dogs, cats, or idiots walking around & no animals outside that will destroy the screen trying to get to them.

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•CARRIERS – There are airline approved carriers that have pop-out sections for space to move. These are great to place outside with you for medium-small reptiles, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, porcupines, etc. However, Murph does not like to be in his carrier outside. Despite the fact that it’s like a popup camper, and extendable on three sides, I believe he feels too closed in because it’s not tall and has a dense screening. He likes his tent (seen below) much better.

*I bought a carrier for Murph. Now, if I have to fly with him, I already have a carrier. I wonder if I register him as an emotional support lizard if he can stay with me. He’s not cargo, he’s my friend. I’d be concerned for his ears, though. Flying puts my ears in excruciating pain, not pressure – agonizing pain. A small % of the population experiences this. I may rather get a tattoo in my armpit than be on 3 flights in 2 days again!

•GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED TENT – Still have your camping tent? If you plan on spending days doing yard work or home repairs, stake it down and leave it set up to place your pet in when you’re ready to get to work. Let the screens supply fresh breezes and place food and water inside. Now you can talk to your animals and they can see you.

•TENT DESIGNED FOR ANIMALS – I’m not sure how often these are found in “brick and mortar” stores. I had to buy one on Amazon. If you get one, first note the dimensions to be sure your animal has space to be content. See: Special Delivery For Murph. What I’ve learned about this tent is that it folds flat into a bag, about the size of a 33 record. However, if you let the thin wires that construct its shape warp in any way, you cannot fold the sucker back into its small shape, and then zippered bag. Also, the wind will lift it. I strung wire (like a crochet hoop) through the ends on both sides of the netting (messed up the netting a bit) and push the ends into the Earth for stability. Now I just toss the big thing, umbrella, tiny pillow & blanky inside, dangling side wires & all into the garage. We use it too frequently to not keep it ready. At times, I have also placed a ridiculously heavy stone inside, the likes of which wind will not scoot resulting in injury. This was “Do you like your new tent?” day:

•STROLLERS – There are varying sizes of strollers specifically for animals. They have tops made of netting to let the air and sun through. These can be for birds (who have sadly been robbed of their flight abilities), reptiles, bunnies, etc. Not only are these great for protection, but now you can take your pet for a long walk. If you’re handy and innovative, there are ways to design & build one or convert a child’s stroller to be safe for your pet.

•HARNESS WITH A LEASH– A harness with the attached leash is helpful in some situations, especially if your animal walks more than a few steps at a time (compare a larger green iguana to the docility of a Beardie). You can temporarily secure the leash around a heavy or immovable object if you need both hands for a minute. I think these are good, but as stated, only in some situations. And certainly, don’t attach them to something when you are so busy you cannot keep watch. Your friend may get stepped on by you or someone else, or ingest insects they shouldn’t, especially if those insects have gotten into chemicals somewhere.

*Know that Bearded Dragons cannot eat lightning bugs, and those beauties do walk around during the day. Remember that birds of prey can swoop down and grab your small animal before you can react. How terrible is that for you, and scary, painful, and heartbreaking for your beloved to realize what’s happening?! I recommend leashes only when someone is attached at the other end. Unbeknownst to you, there may be hungry hawks or owls perching somewhere in silent beauty and deathly opportunity. Don’t underestimate their speed and determination if your back is turned or are a short distance from their desired meal.

A harness with an attached leash can be purchased on Amazon and other online shopping options, including Etsy, where you may find handmade items for a large variety of animals, the purchasing of which helps individuals and artists. They may also be found at some pet stores and possibly reptile shows.

I purchased two safety cones (cheap toys from a local store) to boldly notify others where Murph is lounging on the floor. This works well for more docile creatures that people may not see, such as bearded dragons or lazy rats. Murph also has collars made of pipe cleaners strung through the opening of tiny bells. He has different colored pipe cleaners for my enjoyment – purple, orange, silver, & black. The boy looks great in purple & black! I love the color contrast against his skin. I often put a collar around him loosely & twist it. When I hear jingles, I know he’s on the move. 😁

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Animals get bored – yes, lizards too, especially intelligent ones. They need a change in scenery and mental stimulation much like we do. The items we’ve mentioned offer some enjoyment and some of them, partial concealment. With that, being nearby (especially while making a sh** ton of construction-type noises) is the ultimate deterrent of an unwanted visitor or swoop-by. Your animals will like these extra outside opportunities as long as the temperature is good for them and whatever you’re doing doesn’t stress them.

“Give me lizardry or give me Death!” – Dawn❤️