We make lists for ourselves all the time. Places we want to visit. Food we want to try. Things we absolutely swear we’re going to do one day, before forgetting about the list entirely and watching another series on Netflix…
But what about our pets?
They might not have a Notes app full of plans, but there are plenty of experiences worth sharing with them. And we’re not just talking about dogs.
Some pets will happily spend a weekend exploring the coast. Others would consider being put in a car for a “fun adventure” a serious betrayal of trust.
So this isn’t a list where every pet has to do everything. Think of it as a pet wish list. A little inspiration for finding more of the things your pet genuinely enjoys and making a point of doing them.
Here are 15 moments worth making happen.
Sand between the paws. Wind in the ears. A suspicious amount of seawater consumed despite repeated requests not to.
For dogs that love the coast, a proper beach day deserves a place near the top of their adventure list.
Pack fresh water, a bowl, towels and something to create shade if it’s warm. Check local restrictions before setting off too, as some UK beaches restrict dogs during certain months or in particular areas.
And if your dog has never seen the sea before, have your camera ready. The first encounter with a wave tends to go one of two ways.
“This is the greatest thing I have ever seen.”
Or:
“WHY IS THE FLOOR CHASING ME?”
Cats don’t need a trip to Cornwall to have a memorable day.
Sometimes they need the box the new hoover came in.
Save a few sturdy cardboard boxes and create tunnels, hiding spots and different levels for your cat to explore. Add a favourite toy and spend some time playing together.
Play provides cats with physical and mental stimulation, and simple things such as cardboard boxes can give them places to climb, hide and investigate.
Which proves something cat owners have suspected for years.
You can spend £49.99 on an elaborate cat toy.
They will still choose the box.
There is something particularly brilliant about watching a pet discover snow.
Some dogs charge straight through it like they’ve been training for this moment their entire lives. Others carefully place one paw outside and immediately reconsider every decision that brought them here.
If we get a decent snowfall, let them investigate and enjoy it safely.
Don’t encourage them to eat lots of snow or chew snowballs, and once you’re back inside, check their paws carefully. Snow can collect between a dog’s pads, while road salt and grit can cause irritation. Washing and drying their paws afterwards is a sensible precaution.
Then comes the important bit.
Towel dry. Sofa. Photo evidence.
Dogs get beaches. Rabbits get digging.
Create a safe digging area where they can properly get stuck in. Indoor rabbits can enjoy a dig box filled with suitable material, while rabbits with safe outdoor access can enjoy natural opportunities to dig, graze and explore.
Digging, hopping, exploring and foraging are all natural rabbit behaviours, so giving them safe opportunities to do these things is a great form of enrichment.
Hide suitable food amongst hay or create a simple forage box and let them work things out for themselves.
You might think you’ve made a mess.
Your rabbit thinks you’ve finally understood interior design.
Yes, your dog has absolutely no idea it’s their birthday.
No, this will not stop us celebrating it.
Plenty of cafés and coffee shops offer little dog-friendly treats, often known as pup cups or puppuccinos. Usually it’s a small serving of whipped cream, although exactly what you get varies depending on where you visit.
If you’re treating your dog, ask what’s actually in it first and keep portions small. It should be an occasional extra rather than a replacement for their normal food.
Birthday hat optional.
Looking deeply offended while wearing birthday hat almost guaranteed.
Pick a quiet patch of countryside, your favourite park or even your own garden.
Take a blanket. Pack lunch for the humans and something suitable for your pet. For dogs that are happy out and about, that might mean finding a peaceful picnic spot after a walk. For rabbits or other pets that shouldn’t be taken on unnecessary trips, your own secure garden can be just as good.
And if you have an indoor cat who would consider a family picnic a ridiculous concept, have lunch in the garden while they supervise proceedings from the window.
That’s it.
Not every memorable moment needs a three-hour drive and an online booking confirmation.
Some of the best ones happen ten minutes from home. Or without leaving home at all.
Hamsters and other small pets might not be joining you for a weekend in the Lakes, but that doesn’t mean they should miss out on the fun.
Make their normal environment more interesting by introducing safe enrichment that encourages behaviours natural to their species.
You could:
The important bit is making the experience right for the animal you actually have, rather than assuming every pet wants the same type of adventure.
Sometimes adventure is climbing Snowdon.
Sometimes adventure is discovering a sunflower seed in a cardboard tube.
Both count.
Imagine it.
A cosy cabin. Long walks outside. A fire going. Nowhere you need to be.
And your dog asleep in the most inconvenient possible position.
There are plenty of dog-friendly cabins, cottages and lodges across the UK, from woodland escapes to places by the coast. Pick somewhere with walks nearby and you have everything you need for a very good weekend.
This one isn’t automatically suitable for every pet, though. Changes in routine, travelling and unfamiliar environments can be stressful for some animals. Cats, rabbits and smaller pets that aren’t accustomed to travelling may be far happier staying somewhere familiar with appropriate care.
Sometimes the best pet holiday is the one where the pet stays happily at home.
This one works brilliantly when British weather is doing what British weather does best.
Hide treats, food or favourite toys around a safe room and let your pet search for them.
For cats, try puzzle feeders and games that encourage stalking, chasing and pouncing.
Rabbits can forage through hay or suitable enrichment toys too. Even something as simple as cardboard tubes or boxes filled with hay can provide an opportunity to investigate and forage.
You can adapt the idea for different pets too, using species-appropriate food, toys and enrichment.
Five minutes to set up.
Potentially much longer to convince them there definitely isn’t another treat behind the sofa.
You know that walk you normally do at 8am?
Do it ridiculously early once.
Pick a safe viewpoint, beach or open countryside walk and get there before sunrise.
It will be quieter, cooler in summer and completely different from your normal routine.
Your dog won’t understand why you’ve suddenly become the sort of person who gets up voluntarily at 5am.
But you will probably get one of your favourite photos of them.
For some rescue animals, you won’t know their actual birthday.
Excellent.
You now have permission to invent one.
Celebrate their adoption day, the day they came home or simply pick a date that means something to you.
Favourite dinner. New toy. Extra playtime. A nice walk if that’s their thing.
It doesn’t matter whether they’re a dog, cat, rabbit or something considerably smaller. Make the celebration about whatever they love most.
They won’t understand the occasion.
They will understand that today has been unusually brilliant.
Dog owners, try this one.
At the next safe junction on your walk, don’t automatically take your usual route.
See which direction your dog wants to go.
Then do it again.
And again.
Obviously, you’re still in charge where roads, livestock, private land or other hazards are involved. But where it’s safe, give them a little more choice over the route.
You might discover that your dog has an interesting new destination in mind.
You might also spend 14 minutes investigating one hedge.
Their adventure. Their rules.
This might be our favourite one.
Don’t wait for the holiday.
Don’t wait for the birthday.
Don’t wait until you’ve booked somewhere special.
Spend an ordinary Tuesday afternoon doing something your pet loves.
Take the longer walk.
Sit in the garden.
Throw the ball another ten times.
Play with the cat.
Make a forage box for the rabbits.
Let your older pet fall asleep beside you while you do absolutely nothing productive.
Because it’s often these completely ordinary moments that become some of our favourites.
Not necessarily the huge adventures.
Just them being them.
If your dog enjoys travelling, choose somewhere new and make the journey part of the day.
The Yorkshire Dales. The New Forest. The Cotswolds. The Lake District. The Welsh coast. The Highlands.
You don’t necessarily need a complicated itinerary. Find somewhere suitable for your dog’s age, fitness and temperament, pack what you need and go exploring.
If your pet doesn’t enjoy car journeys, skip this one.
An adventure list is supposed to contain things they’ll actually enjoy.
We’re obviously slightly biased here.
But take the photo.
Take the sandy dog photo.
The snow-covered nose.
The ridiculous birthday pup cup.
The cat sitting in the cardboard castle you spent far too long constructing.
The rabbit mid-dig.
The hamster disappearing down a tunnel.
The muddy walk. The weekend away. The sleepy afternoon on the sofa.
It doesn’t need to be perfectly posed. In fact, the photos that mean the most rarely are.
They’re the little reminders of a very good day together.
You don’t need to complete all 15.
Your cat probably doesn’t want a weekend in a log cabin. Your hamster almost certainly doesn’t need to see the Lake District. And your rabbit isn’t going to lose sleep because they’ve never had a pup cup.
The point is to notice what makes your pet happy and make time for more of it.
Pick a few ideas that suit them. Add your own. Make your own pet wish list and start with something simple.
And when you get a photo that captures them perfectly, don’t leave it buried somewhere between 4,000 screenshots and a picture you accidentally took of your own foot.
Give it some wall space.
[Create your pet metal print]
