It’s resolution time, and your pet should not be left out when you plan to make changes this year.

Why not make an effort to make your pet a little happier and healthier this year, by pledging to some of the resolutions below? You can also add your own, based on what pet you have and what its needs are.

Resolve to:

1. Get your pet to exercise if it has been laying around the house or yard all year. Exercise helps your pet stay healthy and stay free from things like pet obesity which affects many animals worldwide. Go for walks or runs with your pet.

2. Has your pet been having babies like there’s no tomorrow? Rather than get upset, resolve to have your pet spayed or neutered this year. The Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will fix your animal, preventing it from breeding and blessing you with unwanted grand-pets.

3. Pledge to feed your pet the food it needs and in the appropriate amounts. Don’t just feed your dog scraps from the table, or believe that rats and lizards are the only things your cat need. Pet food is relatively cheap, and a lot of the brands out there are specially formulated to cover most of your pet’s nutritional needs.

4. Pledge to make the veterinarian your pet’s best friend this year so your pet stays healthy. Just like you need the doctor, your pet needs visits to the vet to get its shots, and to get checked for disease and other problems. This is not a luxury, and should be part of the routine for every pet owner.

5. Pledge to treat your pet to the occasional toy, as pets need stimulation too. A ball is always a good bet for your dog, as is some string for your cat.

6. Pledge to keep your animal groomed, as a tidy animal is a happy and healthy animal. Get nails clipped and fur brushed, teeth cleaned and pests removed through occasional visits to the groomer.

7. Pledge not to disturb your pet’s routine too much, and ensure that your animal gets adequate rest for optimum performance. Pledge to keep your environment free from things that will scare your pet, so it will be its happiest around you.

8. Pledge not to live vicariously through your pet — seriously, no animal wants to be fluffed and feathered and be poured into an outfit that makes only its fashion-conscious owner happy. Let your pet have some pride in its own skin.