How to Support Your Dog or Cat's Mobility at Home: 9 Simple Ways to Support Your Pet's Mobility at Home
- bridgecityvetrehab
- Jul 22
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 22
Has your dog started slowing down on walks? Is your cat no longer jumping onto their favourite windowsill? While many people assume these changes are simply a normal part of aging, they are often early signs of arthritis or declining mobility.
The good news is that there are many simple things you can do at home to help your pet move more comfortably. Whether your pet is recovering from surgery, living with arthritis, managing a neurological condition, or simply beginning to slow down, Small changes around your home can improve pet mobility, reduce strain on the joints, and help your dog or cat stay active longer.
At Bridge City Veterinary Rehabilitation, we believe that Supporting pet mobility starts long before your pet loses it. Here are eight easy ways to create a mobility-friendly home for your dog or cat.
1. Healthy Weight is the Foundation of Pet Mobility
If there's one thing you can do at home to support your pet's long-term mobility, it's helping them maintain a healthy body weight.
Every extra pound places additional stress on your pet's joints, muscles, and connective tissues, making everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and getting up after resting more difficult. For pets living with arthritis or other orthopedic conditions, excess weight can significantly worsen discomfort and reduce mobility.
Maintaining a healthy weight isn't just about reducing the load on your pet's joints—it's also about reducing inflammation within the body. Body fat (adipose tissue) is also much more than stored energy. It is metabolically active and produces inflammatory compounds that contribute to chronic, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can accelerate joint degeneration and make mobility challenges more difficult to manage.
Keeping your pet at an ideal Body Condition Score (BCS) helps reduce stress on their joints while minimizing inflammation, allowing them to remain active and comfortable for longer.
Don't forget about treats! Treats should account for no more than 10% of your pet's daily caloric intake. Healthy alternatives, such as zucchini, cucumbers, green beans or even using a portion of your pet's regular kibble as rewards, can help maintain a healthy weight while still providing enrichment.
Many pets also benefit from having their daily food allowance divided into multiple smaller meals throughout the day rather than one or two large meals. Automatic feeders make this easier than ever and can help provide consistency, especially for busy families.
Instead of feeding exclusively from a bowl, consider using snuffle mats, puzzle feeders, or food-dispensing toys. These enrichment tools encourage natural foraging behaviours, provide valuable mental stimulation, slow down fast eaters, and can help pets feel more satisfied while still eating the same number of calories.
If you're unsure whether your pet is at an ideal weight, your veterinary team can assess their Body Condition Score and recommend an appropriate nutrition plan.
Want to learn more? Check out our blog, Weight Management in Pets: Helping Your Pet Stay Healthy and Happy, for practical tips on keeping your pet at a healthy weight. or our blog on Risks Associated with Obesity in Pets
2. Keep Your Dog or Cat's Nails Trimmed
Regular nail trims are one of the easiest ways to improve your pet's mobility.
When nails become too long, they prevent the paw from making proper contact with the ground. This reduces traction, alters posture, and places additional stress on joints and muscles. Long nails can also increase the risk of slipping, particularly on hardwood, tile, and laminate flooring.
Keeping nails at an appropriate length allows your pet to stand and walk more naturally while improving balance and stability.
Want to learn more? Read our blog, Dog & Cat Paw Care: Why Nail Trims and Paw Pad Hair Matter for Mobility, to learn how proper nail care and paw maintenance can improve traction, reduce slipping, and support healthy movement.
3. Paw Care Helps Improve Traction
Healthy paws are the foundation of comfortable movement.
Hair that grows between the paw pads can become surprisingly slippery on smooth flooring. Keeping this hair neatly trimmed allows the paw pads to better grip the floor and improves traction.
It's also important to routinely inspect your pet's paws for:
Dry or cracked paw pads
Cuts or abrasions
Foreign material between the toes
Areas of tenderness or excessive licking
Healthy feet help support healthy movement.
4. Reduce Slipping with Better Traction
One of the biggest challenges for pets with arthritis or mobility concerns is slippery flooring.
When pets don't feel secure on their feet, they often shorten their stride, walk more cautiously, or avoid certain areas altogether. Unfortunately, slips and falls can also increase the risk of injury.
Simple additions around your home can dramatically improve confidence and stability, including:
Area rugs with non-slip backing
Hallway runners
Yoga mats in frequently travelled areas
Non-slip mats around food and water bowls
Carpet runners connecting favourite resting places
You don't need to cover every floor. Creating safe "traction pathways" between the areas your pet uses most often can make a tremendous difference.
5. Make Food, Water, and Bedding Easy to Access
Think about how often your pet needs access to food, water, bedding, or their favourite resting place.
If these essentials require climbing stairs or crossing large areas of slippery flooring, they may become increasingly difficult to reach as your pet ages or develops mobility challenges.
Whenever possible, keep your pet's daily necessities on the level of the home where they spend the majority of their time. Reducing unnecessary obstacles helps conserve energy, minimize discomfort, and encourage independence.
6. Consider Raised Food and Water Bowls
For some pets, elevated food and water bowls can make mealtime more comfortable.
Raised bowls may reduce repeated bending through painful neck, shoulder, or elbow joints, particularly for larger dogs or pets living with arthritis.
They aren't necessary for every pet, but when appropriately sized, they can improve comfort during daily routines. Your veterinarian or rehabilitation team can help determine whether raised bowls are appropriate for your pet's individual needs.
7. Help Your Cat Stay Comfortable
Cats are experts at hiding pain, which means mobility changes often go unnoticed until they are more advanced.
One of the easiest ways to support cats with arthritis is by making litter box access as comfortable as possible.
Consider:
Providing a litter box on every level of your home.
Choosing extra-large litter boxes that allow your cat to comfortably turn around and assume a natural posture.
Using low-entry litter boxes if stepping over high sides has become difficult.
Placing litter boxes in quiet areas with good footing nearby.
These simple changes can make using the litter box much more comfortable and may help prevent accidents outside the box.
8. Teach Your Pet to Use a Ramp Before They Need One
Ramps are an excellent way to reduce the impact of jumping into vehicles, climbing stairs, or getting onto furniture.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is waiting until a pet is already recovering from surgery or experiencing pain before introducing a ramp.
Learning something new requires confidence. If your pet is already uncomfortable or anxious, asking them to navigate a ramp can be both physically and mentally challenging.
Instead, introduce ramps while your pet is still healthy and mobile. Using positive reinforcement, treats, and patience allows them to build confidence and develop a positive association with the ramp.
If they ever require it because of injury, surgery, or age-related changes, it will already be a familiar and trusted tool, making the transition much smoother and less stressful for everyone involved.
9. Keep Exercise Consistent
When it comes to supporting your pet's mobility, consistency is more important than intensity.
Just like people, pets benefit from regular, moderate exercise rather than spending most of the week inactive and then going on one long hike or an intense weekend adventure. Sudden increases in activity can place excessive stress on joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, increasing the risk of soreness or injury.
Regular walks and consistent activity also help circulate synovial fluid, the natural lubricant within joints. This fluid nourishes the cartilage, helps reduce friction during movement, and supports healthy joint function.
Daily movement doesn't have to be strenuous. Several shorter walks or play sessions throughout the week are often more beneficial than one long bout of exercise. Consistent activity also helps maintain muscle strength, supports a healthy weight, and keeps joints moving comfortably.
Some pets benefit from professionally supervised low-impact exercise, such as an underwater treadmill, which allows them to build strength while reducing stress on painful joints.
As always, tailor your pet's exercise routine to their age, fitness level, and any underlying medical conditions. If your pet is recovering from surgery or managing arthritis, your rehabilitation team can help develop an exercise program that's both safe and effective.
For pets recovering from surgery, managing arthritis, or experiencing muscle weakness, a customized therapeutic exercise (TherEx) program can safely improve strength, balance, and overall mobility.
Small Changes Can Have a Big Impact on Your Dog's or Cat's Mobility
Supporting pet mobility doesn't always require expensive equipment or major renovations. Often, it's the small, thoughtful adjustments that make the biggest difference.
Maintaining a healthy weight, keeping nails and paws healthy, improving traction, thoughtfully arranging your pet's environment, making litter boxes more accessible, and introducing ramps before they're needed can all help your pet move more comfortably and confidently throughout every stage of life.
If you've noticed your dog or cat slowing down, hesitating on stairs, slipping on smooth floors, struggling to jump, or taking longer to get up after resting, don't assume it's "just old age." These are often early signs of discomfort and may benefit from an assessment by your veterinarian.
At Bridge City Veterinary Rehabilitation in Saskatoon, our goal is to help pets stay active, comfortable, and independent for as long as possible. Whether your companion is recovering from surgery, living with arthritis, or simply beginning to show signs of aging, our team provides personalized rehabilitation plans designed to reduce pain, improve strength, and restore confidence in movement. Depending on your pet's condition, treatments such as Class IV laser therapy, underwater treadmill therapy, and therapeutic exercises may help reduce pain and improve mobility.
If you're concerned about your pet's mobility, we'd love to help. Contact Bridge City Veterinary Rehabilitation to schedule an Initial Rehabilitation Assessment and learn how rehabilitation can help your pet enjoy a happier, more active life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Mobility
How do I know if my dog has arthritis?
Early signs of arthritis could include slowing down on walks, difficulty getting up after resting, hesitating on stairs, reluctance to jump into the vehicle or onto furniture, stiffness after exercise, and slipping on smooth floors. If you notice these changes, we recommend scheduling an inital rehab assessment with the veterinarian.
Can cats get arthritis?
Absolutely. Because cats naturally hide pain, signs may be subtle and include sleeping more, grooming less, avoiding stairs, jumping less often, or having difficulty getting into the litter box.
Do rugs help dogs with arthritis?
Yes. Non-slip rugs and runners improve traction, reduce slips, and help dogs move more confidently around the home, especially on hardwood, laminate, and tile flooring.
Should senior pets use ramps?
Yes. Teaching your pet to use a ramp before they need one builds confidence and makes the transition much easier if they later develop arthritis or require surgery.
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