The Top 6 Challenges for Pet Parents and How to Navigate Them

The relationship between pets and pet parents is defined by the human-animal bond, a mutually beneficial connection with health benefits for both people and pets. The strength of the bond matters—the better we take care of our pets, the greater the benefits for our well-being.  

But no relationship comes without its challenges. There can be a disconnect between how much a pet parent might want to do for their pet, and the real-world challenges they face.   

To understand these obstacles, Chewy Health and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) conducted a study, The Pet Health Challenges Survey, focusing on the most common challenges facing pet parents.  

The survey also focused on potential solutions. Understanding how you can leverage the tools, resources, and experts around you will help to strengthen your bond with your pet.  

Understanding Your Pet’s Behavior  

Two key challenges for pet parents are interpreting their pet’s behavior (85%) and understanding their pet’s health status or needs (81%).

Understanding why your dog is pulling on the leash or why your cat is wiggling around will help you feel more connected and equipped to manage behavior or to notice unusual health signs and act early.   

Of course, our pets can't talk to us, but there are resources to help us better understand their behavior and when it might be connected to a health issue.  

It’s best to develop a relationship with your veterinary team and leverage their expertise to decode what's happening with your pet in urgent and non-urgent situations. Beyond the exam room, there are other great resources to help you:  

• Utilizing veterinary-approved educational resources like PetMD to help you understand your pet’s body language and how they communicate. 

• Keeping reliable at-home triage tools on hand, like PetMD’s Symptom Checker or reaching out to Connect with a Vet, where you can chat live with a veterinary professional about what is going on with your pet. 

Managing Quality Veterinary Care   

84% of pet parents say that finding, affording, and managing quality veterinary care can be difficult for them. While cost is often a challenge, forming a solid connection and understanding care instructions are also key factors for pet parents when it comes to trusting their veterinary teams.  

Quality veterinary care starts with understanding how to make the most of the veterinary resources at your disposal. This looks like: 

• Staying in communication with your veterinary team beyond in-person visits. 

• Utilizing veterinary technicians as a source of knowledge to ask any questions regarding your pet’s care. 

• Scheduling wellness visits and other preventive care services. 

Always ask questions and utilize resources to understand the best way to manage not just urgent care, but preventative care as well.  

Nurturing Your Pet’s Health  

There are many aspects to pet health beyond veterinary care, including providing them with quality nutrition, sufficient exercise, proper socialization, and mental stimulation.  To support your pet's mental and physical health, consider: 

• Implementing a consistent daily routine that includes physical and mental enrichment activities.  

• Working with your vet to create the best nutritional diet depending on your pet’s needs. 

• Developing consistent routines such as sticking to the same feeding schedule.

• Positively reinforcing social interactions, such as doggy playdates. 

• Building the bond between you and your pet through training sessions, with just the right amount of treats.  

• Spending as much quality time together as possible. 

Connecting with your veterinary team and maximizing veterinary-approved resources will help you find the best ways to incorporate these into your day-to-day life. 

As an added bonus, 90% of pet parents say that pets have helped improve their own mental and physical health, further emphasizing the mutually beneficial power of a strong human-animal bond.   

Leaving Your Pet Home Alone  

Our survey showed that many pet parents found it difficult to leave their pets home alone for an extended period of time. 79% of pet parents also encountered challenges related to traveling with their pets, such as how to manage needs on-the-go and navigating any unexpected complications. 

However, there are tools and strategies that can help improve the experience for both of you. These may look like: 

• Creating a safe space for your pet in a low-traffic area of your home that has all the resources they need, including treats, a bed, and mental enrichment activities like puzzle toys.  

• Investing in a pet camera to monitor your pet while you are away from home. 

• You can also set up interactive treat dispensers to keep your pet entertained while you are away from home. Implement health-monitoring apps so that you can keep track of your pet’s well-being even while away.   

• Work with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist or with your veterinary team to develop the best plan for you and your pet.  

Traveling with Your Pet or Finding a Pet Sitter

If you’re traveling without your pet, finding care you can trust in your absence can be stressful. If you’re traveling with your pet, you’re responsible for figuring out key obstacles like pet-friendly hotels, airline travel guidelines, and ensuring your pet feels safe and calm in new environments.  

Some considerations to help find a trusted pet sitter: 

• Consult accredited organizations that offer at-home pet sitting.

• Reaching out to friends and neighbors for recommendations on trusted pet sitters.

• Touring pet boarding facilities to find one that works for your pet and a boarding service that follows state and federal guidelines.

When traveling with your pet, some considerations may include: 

• An airline-approved pet carrier. 

• Your pet’s vaccine and medical records, in case you need to visit a vet while away from home. 

• If you’re traveling over state lines, a health certificate is likely required and can take a few months to obtain (schedule early). 

• Extra food and supplements. 

• Ensuring your pet’s ID tags and microchips are up to date if they are staying with a sitter or boarding. 

• Any additional items to make them as relaxed as possible—a comfortable bed, pheromone therapies, motion sickness and anxiety medications (if needed), and cleaning supplies. 

Planning ahead and ensuring continuity in your pet’s routine is important. This includes working with your veterinary care team to understand what makes your pet comfortable and how to keep their safety in mind during travel.  

Affording Pet Care  

Finding and affording quality food and nutrition, quality prescription medicine, and quality grooming is a concern for 76% of pet parents.  

Your pet’s wellness and preventative care is a long-term investment with immediate benefits. Routine screenings, vaccines, and early intervention ensure your veterinary team can spot problems earlier when treatment is simpler, safer, and more cost-effective.  

Key elements for affordable care can include: 

• Researching pet insurance plans to determine one that works well for your pet. 

• Discussing loyalty programs or discount cards with your veterinary team regarding possible discounts on pet medication. 

• Utilizing discount cards for pet medications where available. 

• Finding alternative ways to help pay for vet bills. 

Although pet parenting comes with its own set of unique challenges, the love they give us is well worth the effort. There are more and more resources to help pet parents succeed and strengthen the human-animal bond. When we take great care of our pets, they take great care of us!