Guess what? There are MORE photos of all the festivities! I hope you enjoy them. Perhaps you’ll recognize a few familiar faces too!
Pet Pfest 2019 – Part 3
Category: pet holiday
Happy National Puppy Day
Happy happy National Puppy Day! Of course in my book, all dogs are puppies, regardless of age. As with any pet-centered holiday, take this as an excuse to celebrate your pet (safely!) and have fun!
Here are a few ways you can do this with your canine companion:
- ADOPT! You don’t necessarily have to adopt a puppy – they do require work, training, and socialization. It’s important to find the right home for the right pet.
- Volunteer at your local shelter. Exercise puppies, socialize them, and/or teach them basic obedience commands. Fostering is also a great way to volunteer and help a shelter animal.
- Training your puppy! Ensuring your dog can walk correctly on a leash so that you are walking your dog rather than the dog walking you is super important.
- Ensure that your puppy is well-socialized around other people and dogs and exposed to new experiences.
- Assist an elderly neighbor or friend by walking their pooch for them or helping them take their dog to the vet.
- Have a puppy party! Invite all your friends and their puppies.
Want more ideas? Check out these 50 ways to celebrate and National Puppy Day’s site or Facebook page.
All photos courtesy of Pexels
Pet Pfest 2019 – Part 2
Since there were so many activities at Pet Pfest, there was no way I could participate in them all. The event was mentioned in the Austin-American Statesman too! Here are additional photos that the Pflugerville Public Library released after the event. Enjoy!
Pet Pfest 2019 – Part 1
The Pflugerville Public Library held its annual pet celebration – the Pet Pfest – this afternoon! Here was today’s schedule:
There was no way I could attend ALL the above activities and see all the animals, let alone pet them! Unfortunately, I did not see the Northwind Farm horses, though they do make semi-regular appearances at the library. I did, however, meet several lovely dogs and their people!
National Cat Day
Hooray, hooray! It’s National Cat Day!
Oh wait. I’m pretty sure that’s every day at our house. The clowder insists that we celebrate, even if we don’t give them new toys every day. Instead we give them adoration.
Garrus and Charlie observed National Cat Day with an appropriately cute snuggle. Not quite a heart shape but bromance-flavored nonetheless.
When I told Mau it was National Cat Day, this was his response. Typical.
Everyone wanted to bro down for National Cat Day. Note Garrus’ intense side eye.
How will you celebrate National Cat Day? Will there be catnip-filled merrymaking, new toys, and cat tower carousing? Share in the comments!
National Pet Memorial Day
More than 40 years ago, the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories created National Pet Memorial Day, held on the second Sunday in September, to honor pets both past and present. Pets, in their many shapes, forms, and personalities, undoubtedly and significantly impact our lives and hearts. To celebrate these wonderful furry family members after their passing, we can pay tribute to them in a number of ways. Here are a few:
- Ashes. A number of sites offer an impressive array of urns, boxes, and other containers, including jewelry in which your pet’s remains can be stored and cherished.
- Photos. Take a particularly memorable or professional photo of your pet, have it framed, and place it where it will bring you comfort. Showcase a collection of representative photos (pets doing different activities, at different ages, at special locations, etc.) in a scrapbook, collage, or matted collection.
- Portrait. Get your pet’s portrait painted! Often pet portrait artists work off a good photograph, so this ties in nicely with #2.
- Get crafty. Ideas: transferring a pet’s photo onto a needlepoint canvas or painting ceramics.
- Write it down. You compose a poem, a letter (to your pet or “from” your pet), a chronicle of your pet’s life, or a written family project. The point is to express your feelings and memories of your furry companion.
- Cyberspace. You can post your tribute online. A number of sites offer this service for free too. On social media, you can share photos, written tributes, and your memories. Use the hashtag #NationalPetMemorialDay.
- Plant a tree or shrub. For example, Treegivers offers the service of planting a tree in your pet’s name. You can also plant a tree or special plant, like catnip, in a memorial garden or city park.
When Nala and Boudicca passed, I had their ashes placed in a nice box and set their collars on top of the boxes. I put Nala’s box in the living room overlooking her usual spot while I put Boudicca’s box on a shelf in my office overlooking her office supurrviser spot (her bed). I also have a bit of Queen B’s fur in a sachet.
Listed above are only a handful of ways you can remember your beloved pet. There are many more specialized ways of doing this. For example, my mother made a lovely memorial collage quilt composed of the bandannas the Schnauzers received after they were groomed. Be creative! For more information, check out tips from Pet Loss, the Dog People, UF’s Small Animal Hospital, and the Huffington Post.
How have you memorialized your pets? How do you celebrate and remember your pets past and present? Share in the comments!
National Hug Your Hound Day
National Hug Your Hound Day was created by the author and canine behaviorist Ami Moore, the “Dog Whisperer of Chicago”. The holiday is observed annually on the second Sunday of September.
Photo courtesy of Pexels
National Hug Your Hound Day is about “truly observing your dog (from his point of view” in his environment and everyday life”. Like a number of other pet-themed holidays, it focuses on the happiness and health of your pet. Oh yeah, it might also be a perfect excuse to ensure your dog is sufficiently hugged!
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Happy Cat Month
I’m sure that Happy Cat Month occurs at my house every day (or at least I truly hope so)! The CATalyst Council created Happy Cat Month to educate cat owners about what they can do to ensure their fur person is indeed happy, healthy, and thoroughly loved. There are four themes throughout the month, as follows:
- Happy Healthy Cat: September 1-5
- Happy Enriched Cat: September 6-12
- Happy Multi-Cat: September 13-19
- Happy Valued Cat: September 20-30
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Isn’t that neat and comprehensive? For more information, check out the CATalyst Council’s Facebook page!
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
Happy Ginger Cat Appreciation Day! Did you know that all orange cats are tabbies and 80% of them are male? I was fortunate enough to have raised and loved a bicolor orange tabby girl, Nala, who has since passed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2017.
As you can see here, Nala was mostly white but had orange tabby splotches on her head, back, hind legs, and tail. Her orange fur seemed to grow browner with age.
Nala believed that sinks were her personal beds. She loved water!
Other cool facts about orange cats:
- Famous orange cats include the animated Garfield, Tango (Winston Churchill’s cat), and Marmalade (of Cole and Marmalade fame)!
- Tabbies are not a breed but rather a type of coat marking. Orange tabbies can be Maine Coons, American Bobtails, British Shorthairs, Persians, Abyssinians, Munchkin cats, and Persians.
- There are four tabby patterns: mackerel (the most common), classic (aka blotched or marbled), spotted, and ticked.
Photo courtesy of Pexels. This cute little fuzzball is an orange mackerel tabby.
Photo courtesy of Silver Short Hairs. This gorgeous cat is a long-haired classic tabby. Garrus, though not orange, is a classic tabby, though the black markings on his back smudge the distinctive swirl on his sides.
Photo courtesy of Feral Front. These two are lovely spotted tabbies! Charlie, though not a ginger cat, is another example of a spotted tabby.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest. This is an orange ticked tabby (and a Maine Coon to boot–check out that magnificent tail!)
Do love orange cats too? Give them an extra helping of love today. Please share stories and photos of your ginger cats in the comments!
National Holistic Pet Day
When we humans think about our health, we think of mind, body, and spirit or heart. We strive to be healthy and find fulfillment in our lives. As responsible pet owners, we can extend that kind of thinking to our pets as well. When I say “holistic”, I’m talking about the whole, as in the mind, body, and spirit or heart of your pet.
Holistic health begins with good nutrition, physical exercise, and mental stimulation. Is your pet at a healthy weight? Does your pet get enough exercise? Do you think your pet is bored? These are only three questions to consider. As a caring and responsible pet owner, having a healthy and happy pet probably means that you’re happy for your pet too. Everyone wins.
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Here are some activities you can do today to celebrate National Holistic Pet Day:
- Have an adventure. Take your dog to a new park. Arrange a playdate with a new doggy friend. Bringing your dog to new places, combined with reinforced training, help your dog to be well-socialized and more confident.
- Play, play, play. Exercise can be therapeutic for pets and beneficial mentally as well as physically. By regularly playing with your pet, you strengthen pet-owner bonds, let your pet hone skills (fetching, tracking, pouncing, hunting, etc.), and reduce stress.
- Enrichment. Mixing things up a bit and encouraging pets to use their minds as well as their paws and noses can help pets, especially indoor ones, stave off boredom. Consider these ideas: food-dispensing puzzle toys; sensory enrichment (i.e. window perch for birdwatching, pet-directed videos); climbing posts, trees, and shelves for cats; novel objects like boxes, paper bags, pop-up tunnels, and bacon-flavored bubbles for dogs. Seriously!
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Purry Home Companion 