😍 How much should your life revolve around your pet?

“The part of me that thinks I'm a little crazy is when she won't eat her dinner. I'm like, ‘Okay, today it's going to be ground beef and peas and then the next day I'm going to do a different kind of protein with carrots…’

I wouldn't want to eat the same thing every day. So I’m guessing she doesn’t want to either.”

For many of us, having a few pets around has been part of everyday life for as long as we can remember.

But for some who never had a pet of their own until adulthood, the amount of responsibility that comes with these sweet companions can be a big adjustment.

That wasn’t the case for Kate Lin–self-described “helicopter pet parent” and founder of Joyfull Pet–when she got her first cat.

From that point on, she was obsessed. And that obsession turned into doing everything she could for her pets…

Even if that meant preparing homemade meals, embracing a career pivot, and making them the literal center of her universe.

Each new pet meant more to love

“We were living in Las Vegas, but we drove to LA to pick Layla up from a family there… Then we went on a ski trip for my husband’s birthday and she just loved the snow. For the first time, we were like ‘Wow, she looks so happy. We have to move here.’”

The moment Kate laid eyes on Layla, she knew she was beautiful… But never having had a dog in her life, she didn’t exactly know what to expect. 

Her husband, who came into the relationship with Mia, a cat he’d had since college, was missing the unique companionship that comes with dogs. 

They’d been a part of his life since childhood, so when he mentioned he wanted one again, Kate figured why not. 

Layla was a young husky puppy with very distinct features, listed on Craigslist by a family who lived hours away. It didn’t matter. They fell in love with her and knew she was their girl.

And while Mia likely prefers being the only “child” in the household, she didn’t seem to mind that this new rambunctious puppy was now part of the family.

From there, Kate really started to understand what it felt like to be a dog mom.

Layla’s loving, friendly demeanor made it easy to want to spend time with her and before she knew it, she felt she was more in love with the dog than her husband was!

The playful “you’re my human, I need you” vibes from Layla were a stark contrast against Mia’s more independent cat personality, but it created a nice balance for Kate…

And then Roo came in.

The Cat Distribution System decided two pets wasn’t enough and placed this young cat right outside their home.

The first night they went out to gain her trust, she came right up to them, rubbing against their legs and purring with content. 

They brought her into the garage to keep her safe and immediately decided, if they couldn’t find her home, they would take her in.

Layla loved her right away, but Mia took her time to warm up… Even now, she doesn’t cuddle Roo or spend too much time with her, but they’ll share the same cat tree. 

Having these three in her life, Kate noticed a shift in how she showed up for them. 

And what started as a simple interest in giving them the best life turned into a new, intense kind of pet parenting.

Activating “helicopter pet parent” mode

“They don't have as much agency as we do so they only get the life we give to them. If I'm bored, I can go out and do something, but if she's bored, she'll kind of sigh at me, or cry or whimper, and she'll sit there kind of sad looking.

It's up to us to enable those opportunities for them. Their lives are only as big as we allow them to be.”

Being so present in their lives, Kate started to truly understand how it was up to her to make sure they’re truly happy, healthy, and safe. 

The more time she spent with them, the more she realized how much she loved each of them for the unique personalities and ways they filled her life with joy.

Mia, who’s currently 15 and super chill, seems to have a strong sense of empathy. If Kate is down, Mia steps in to comfort her with a purr that could soothe even the strongest emotions.

She’s the perfect cuddle buddy during those more quiet moments in the day.

Layla, being a more independent dog, is not a snuggler. For Kate, she feels like more of a friend, accompanying her on trips to the store or hikes in nature.

Even if she’s technically alone, Layla’s strong, attentive presence makes it feel like she’s always got someone there with her.

Roo is still a slight wild child, going outside to explore and hunt but not for too long… Because she loves that she now has a home to come back to. 

And when she comes back, she demands love and attention, and maybe some snuggles too.

Because of these special moments, Kate does her best to fulfill each of her pets’ needs in ways that truly make them feel seen, sometimes taking it to a bit of an extreme.

“I think the ‘helicopter pet parent’ is a mindset, honestly. It's like when you’re the type of pet parent that's like constantly obsessing over whatever decisions that you're making for your pets.”

Sometimes, this means acknowledging that Layla is a super energetic dog, so if it’s going to be a long day for Kate, she gets to spend time at doggie daycare.

Weekend plans and walks will revolve around Layla too. Can she come with? Has she walked this trail before? Is there somewhere new we can take her?

Kate loves how taking her to new places and exposing her to new situations can help enrich her mental health and build her confidence.

She’s also attentive to the foods she feeds them, constantly obsessing over food labels for unsafe ingredients and heavy metals and supplementing with homemade meals too.

This attentiveness to their health is especially important–she’s noticed their food sensitivities have often led to messy accidents…

And instead of waiting around and hoping for it to get better, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

A love for pets–not their bodily messes

“The one thing that's like every single animal can benefit from a better gut health… And considering they have very sensitive stomachs, I wanted to introduce more things to help their gut. They’re so picky though, so there’s been a lot of challenges…

But I was like, surely there’s a solution for this… And I ended up coming up with my own.”

Between Mia’s vomiting and Layla’s messy #2’s, Kate knew something wasn’t right with their health. 

Mia had been on the same food for a while and wasn’t into trying new things. Layla’s stomach was so sensitive, trying something new (if she even wanted it) could upset her digestion.

And to anything natural that many dogs love, like blueberries, carrots, and celery, Layla gave a firm “no thank you.”

At the time, many foods on the market made to help these issues were full of additional ingredients either they wouldn’t eat or Kate didn’t feel comfortable giving them.

So she did what a true helicopter pet parent would do: she started researching. And she didn’t take it lightly.

Digging deep into research and development for over a year and a half, and partnering with a veterinarian, she started learning everything she could about food, digestion, gut health, and anything else that could help her pets.

After some time, she decided creating functional treats with limited ingredients and prebiotics was her best bet.

And if her picky pets liked it, she could be pretty sure other pets with “distinguished tastes” would as well.

It’s just one more way she can support her pets in a more holistic way: probiotics for their gut health, playtime and enrichment for mental health, cuddles for companionship…

Because when pets feel safe, they can truly live their best life!

The little moments make a big impact

“I think there's a very special type of care you give to this little being that you can't really communicate with. They’re sort of vulnerable and don't have anybody to champion them other than the humans that are choosing to do so.”

During childhood, Kate loved animals but never truly understood the ways they can change your life.

And now that she’s experienced life with both a dog and cats, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Their presence and their reliance on us to keep them protected has helped her feel more compassionate toward them, understanding the role she plays in their life is not one to take lightly.

Between the quiet moments snuggling a cat or the more active moments walking with the dog, having them around has helped her too.

Both her mental and physical health have been positively affected and for as much as she enriches their life, she truly feels they do the same for hers.

And for those who don’t have a dog, she now strongly believes that dogs can help so much when someone is feeling stressed, she’s encouraged others to walk them at a local shelter.

They get out of their kennel, you get your steps in… It helps everyone involved. 

“I just can't imagine not having a little furry being to snuggle when I need it or somebody to just bring joy to my life when I'm feeling a little stressed. It all seems so simple but it’s true.”

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Whether your pet’s got an iron stomach or the slightest change will set them off, you know exactly what they need to feel their best.

But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?

If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?

Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.

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