Easy Tips for Celebrating Love Your Pet Day

Feb 14, 2017

Forget Valentine’s Day! The real celebration this month is on February 20^th – Love Your Pet Day. While we hope that you love on your pet every day, this special day serves as a reminder of how much our four-footed family members mean to us. Giving your pet extra pampering on this day (and every day) is easy, affordable, and will make you and your pet very happy. Here are some special ways to show your furry friend how much you love them on February 20^th:

1. Play! It is that easy. Our pets need exercise, entertainment, and stimulation. Playing with them is a great way to keep them happy and healthy. Making the effort to play will not only help them-- but helps us become more active as well. So get motivated and throw around a ball for your cat to fetch, let your cat chase a feather toy, or (my personal favorite) play hide and sneak for easy and fun entertainment.

2. Toys! Make or buy new ones often. Simple toys are fine as long as they are fun. An analogy I like to use-- imagine how boring your life would be with just one or two TV channels. Or even worse, if you had 100 channels that each played only one show. Our pets need more stimulation and variety to their lives and rotating toys is a great way to help them! We have great cat toys that are unique and gets cats playing. There are many DIY ones that are easy to make and fun to play with. Just search “DIY pet toys” on the internet to see hundreds of different options.

3. New tricks and new experiences! Our four-footed friends are smart, but they need us to keep their brains sharpened. Life in four walls is confining for most of our pets. Without proper enrichment, they become bored, stressed and depressed. What can you do? Try hiding treats for your pets during playtime! Many cats enjoy seeking out treats and exploring new surroundings. Opening windows, giving them fresh air, moving furniture around, creating new places to explore, and teaching new tricks and commands all work to exercise your cat’s mind and keep them from becoming bored. We write about the many ways to bring the outdoors in for your cat on our blog.

tabby cat looking out window

4. Real food! It is okay to supplement your pet’s diet with healthy alternatives to commercial diets. Animals in the wild do not limit their food choices by eating just one type of food and our domestic pets should not either. It is easy to find safe and natural recipes that are easy to cook and good for your pet to eat. Websites, blogs, books, and veterinarians are all excellent resources to finding healthy recipes that are safe for your pet. Variety is the spice of life. Our furry friends deserve the opportunity to eat home-cooked meals as much as we do.

cat paw reaching for pear on table

5. Veterinary care. There is no better way to show your pet how much you love them than by providing good medical care. Keeping your pet healthy and pain-free is an important responsibility that all owners should take seriously. We owe it to our pet companions to be their advocates, guardians, and caretakers throughout their entire lives. A visit to your pet’s favorite veterinarian is a great way to celebrate Love Your Pet Day.

lab coat with stethescope around neck and pens in pocket

These are only a few of the ways you can show your pet how much you love and care for them. Celebrate the bond you have with your furry friends in the style that suits you best. Love is all that is necessary to fill your heart and theirs-- and we wish you a lovable, lovely, Love Your Pet Day!

Send us pictures on February 20^th of how you celebrated Love Your Pet Day with your furry companion! We would love to see them, and may even post your picture on our Facebook page.

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