6 On Your Side: Consumer Confidence, How to make your pet happy

(ABC 6 NEWS) – Monday is national pet day. Whether you’re a dog or cat lover, your pet is part of your family.

In your 6 On Your Side: Consumer Confidence, we’ll share some ideas on how you can make your pet as comfortable as they can be.

When Consumer Reports reporter, Angela Lashbrook, adopted her dog Gordo, she got him a simple thin flat dog bed and thought that’d be enough. But Gordo just wasn’t having it.

"Gordo basically refused to sleep on the bed we got him. He preferred my reading chair or the couch or our bed. It wasn’t until a friend admonished us for his cheap bed, that we finally invested and got him something a little nicer," Lashbrook said.

The investment was well worth it. Gordo loves his new bed and is now a much happier pup. And just like us, Gordo and other dogs need a comfortable place to sleep, especially since they spend an average of 50 percent of their day sleeping and another 30 percent just loafing around.

"A high-quality dog bed is a great option to give your dog a place to sleep and chill out – especially if you have a dog who is older and maybe has joint issues," Lashbrook said,

A new puppy in the house? A dog bed that’s chew-proof and waterproof may be your best bet.

If you’ve got an older dog, beds made of egg crate foam or memory foam can really help ease those achy joints.

And let’s not forget about our other four-legged friends. Cats need a comfortable place to sleep and relax too – like a cat tree.

"Cat trees are a great way to check off a lot of boxes for your cat’s needs. It provides a comfy sleeping area for them, a scratching post, and cats love being elevated, so it gives them a nice perch," Laura Murphy for Consumer Reports said.

Like us, cats have their own personal preferences as well, so choose the cat tree that fits your cat best.

"If your cat likes to hang out in empty boxes, maybe they’d prefer a cat tree with lots of cozy cubbies. If your cat is a climber, look for a tree with lots of platforms and high vantage points," Murphy said.

If you get a cat tree try putting it against the wall so your cat feels safe, but also near a window so it has a view of what’s going on outside.