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Americans love their pets. So much so that every year, February 20th is National Love Your Pet Day. Here are 5 ways you can celebrate this year!
In fact, according to this holiday calendar website, over 136 million live with an animal at any given time!
- Up to 60 million own a dog
- 47 million own a cat
- Fish are also very common, with over 12 million people owning freshwater varieties like goldfish, guppies, and platys
Then, there’s all the “alternative” pets, too: birds, snakes, rats, gerbils, chinchillas, and yes, even tarantulas, too. All pets have something special to offer to the people who love them, no matter the type.
Regardless of what you happen to adopt, National Love Your Pet Day (February 20) is always the perfect time to express your love. So, here are a few of the best ways to celebrate YOUR pet in a big way!
What is National Love Your Pet Day?
Although not as serious as other National days, it’s still quite an important day for many Americans.
Relationships between humans and animals, also known as the “human-animal bond“, is thought to be a natural part of the human evolution, and one that is essential in differentiating us from other animals.
This has led to a bond between humans and their pets, and there are many different reasons why we love our animal companions.
National Love Your Pet Day embodies this connection with our pet family members, and represents this relationship (along with giving us a reason to spoil them even more than we already do). Here are five ways to celebrate.
1. Have a Pet Party
Who let the dogs out?! One way to celebrate is throw a party for the dogs! If your dog is socialized and comfortable around other pups, or she has some canine best buds, there’s no better way to celebrate than to have a puppy playdate. Most local doggy daycares will let you rent space, if that’s something you’re interested in, but you can also just head into the backyard or hit up the local dog park, too.
One quick – but important – note: dogs who hang out with other dogs should always be vaccinated, deflead, and dewormed in advance. This just helps to ensure that Fido doesn’t inadvertently pass on any undesirable critters during playtime.
2. Take Fluffy In For Grooming
Depending on how your pet responds to grooming, this might seem more like torture than a celebration of love. But grooming is an important part of pet care; without it, pets can become dirty, smelly, matted, or struggle with skin problems that make them uncomfortable. That’s especially common in older cats and dogs, who may lose the ability to self-groom as they age.
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a gentle bath, a conditioning treatment, and a good brushing. In other cases, Fluffy might need something more in-depth, like a partial or full shave. Your groomer will help you find the right option.
A trip the groomer will be especially helpful if you’ve gotten to a place where you’re struggling to maintain fur issues at home. It gives you the opportunity to “start over” from scratch so you can improve your routine – no claws or teeth involved.
3. Whip Up Some Homemade Treats
Cooking is always a labor of love. That’s true regardless of whom you are cooking for: the dog, the cat, your sweetheart, or even just the friendly squirrels who visit your yard.
But giving human foods isn’t without risk, especially for certain pets. Some foods, like grapes and onions, are highly toxic to dogs and cats. Others, like leftover steak, may be too fatty, triggering weight gain or pancreatitis. And some, like candies, chips, and chocolates, are a one-way ticket to a vet visit, vomiting, and diarrhea.
So, what can you do when you want to make fluffy a treat? Find pet-appropriate recipes and whip up your own homemade treats.
- Dog biscuits are especially easy; the process for most recipes is really no different than making cookies.
- This Salmon cat treat recipe is also quick and easy.
- There are even good options for making your own fish food, if you want to give Goldie a little opportunity to indulge in her tank!
But before you hit the kitchen, here’s a little tip. Remember that treats still contain calories, and that means you should factor them into your pet’s overall diet rather than adding them on as daily extras. Fluffy’s total caloric intake shouldn’t be more than 10% treats to help maintain nutritional balance.
4. Indulge Fido In a Little Massage
Massage carries distinct benefits for humans, such as improved circulation, relaxation, relief from muscle spasms, and even faster healing after injuries. Your dog, cat, or other pet who loves to be cuddled or stroked may also benefit from the same kind of gentle manual manipulation – but with a few adjustments.
- First, let Fido or Fluffy take the lead.Only massage them in areas where you know they enjoy being stroked at first. Use a light, circular motion that moves across the zone, changing directions every so often. If they seem comfortable with your efforts, try moving closer to common problem areas, such as the stomach, legs, or hips.
- Secondly, don’t use human-oriented massage oils or any product not specifically meant for your pet. In most cases, you don’t need these at all. If your pet has particularly dry, flaky skin, your pharmacist may be able to give you a compounded formula that will safely reinfuse a bit of moisture without making her oily or irritated.
If your pet seems uncomfortable at any point, or gives a warning that they’ve had enough, stop and end the session. Some pets become overstimulated quickly and may appreciate short intervals rather than long, extended massages.
5. Make Fluffy’s Medication Easier to Swallow
Have a pet who has to take medication occasionally, or maybe even every single day? Whether it’s a Diabetic dog or a cat with a thyroid problem, medication time can be a hard sell for our furry friends. Most animals balk at substances that taste bad because their instincts tell them there’s a risk it might hurt them.
In the wild, this makes sense; something that tastes bad could be poison. But that doesn’t do much to help you, the responsible pet parent who just wants your dog to swallow the darn pill that’s keeping him alive.
Sometimes, you can hide a medicine in food or a tasty treat. But this doesn’t always work; pets might reject it anyhow. And some medicines must be taken on an empty stomach in order to work correctly, which complicates matters.
If you’ve tried everything and both of you still dread medication time, National Love Your Pet Day is a great time to explore another fix. Your pharmacist may be able to help with pet medication by:
- Adjusting the formula for you by changing the dose format (e.g., pill to liquid)
- Adding flavoring
- Even turning a pill into a topical gel
Medication time becomes just another routine part of the day instead of an all-out war.
Final Thought
Last but not least, there’s also the simplest and most effective way to love your pet: spend time caring for them. February 20th might be National Love Your Pet Day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t layer on the love on a daily basis. Your pet will thank you for it by loving you back at every available moment.
