Spring Time Tips for Your Cat or Dog

Spring is the season of birth, new beginnings, renewal, transitions, and growth.

I like to align myself and my animals with the rhythms of the natural world. We are energetic beings, just like our animals, although our animals tend to be able to tune into energy more easily than we do. When we pay attention to and align with nature and the energy of each season, we feel healthier, happier and our manifestations are more likely to occur.

During Spring we should place a focus on cleansing, rejuvenating, and returning to balance. Just as nature, our animals and ourselves are waking up from a heavy and cold winter.

Spring is a time to feel soft, light, optimistic, joyful, and inspired.

Typically, during spring the temperatures start to increase and the air is moist. An increase in moisture occurs from the snow and ice melting as well as more frequent rain. Some signs of an imbalance in our bodies during spring are feeling heavy, tired, allergies, and fleas and bugs on our animals.

In Ayurveda, spring is associated with the kapha dosha. Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that focuses on balancing the body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda, a natural system of medicine originating in India more than 3,000 years ago, is based on the idea that disease and imbalance are caused by lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and routine. Ayurveda looks at the balance between the body, mind, spirit, and environment.

As I mentioned, spring is associated with the Kapha dosha. There are three doshas in Ayurveda. Kapha is the dosha associated with water. The qualities of Kapha dosha, are associated with the elements of earth and water. These qualities are heavy, moist, slow, steady, and cool.

We use the extra water that spring brings us to wash out anything that we have in excess. But if we have too much water, we can become imbalanced. Some of us naturally, have more water in our bodies. This applies to us as well as our animals.

To remain balanced during spring, we want to eat foods and do activities that assist ourselves and our animals in feeling invigorated and stimulated. When there’s an abundance of Kapha in the atmosphere, it’s easier to become stagnant and lethargic.

Here are some activities and foods to incorporate into your schedule and diet for spring.

Set intentions for the rest of the year
Set intentions in how you want to grow your relationship and bond with your animal
Socialize yourself and your animals
Begin to rise earlier. Aiming at waking by or before 6 a.m.
Do Vinyasa Yoga in the morning
Eat light foods
Boost your digestive fire with foods and exercise
Do energizing breathwork
Provide lots of playtime for your animal
Provide opportunities for your animal to experience physical activity
Try something new
Be playful
Go on an adventure with your animal
Keep an eye out for fleas on your animal. Perform regular skin checks.
Use Apple cider vinegar as a natural flea-repellent
Feed unpasteurized Raw goat’s milk for dogs and cats as a source of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and enzymes, helpful with allergies, digestion, and inflammation
Feed local raw honey to your dog (and yourself) as a source of enzymes, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, beneficial fatty acids and to help with allergies
Feed warm food (don’t feed food directly out of the fridge)
Feed your dog as snacks or add into meals in small portions: apples, blueberries, cranberries, broccoli, eggs