Last Friday was National Love Your Pet Day.
The day annually falls on Feb. 20, and its special designation was established in 2004 by a leading animal behaviorist and welfare advocate Colleen Paige, who is also an author of multiple books about dog and dog owners’ behavior. There’s nothing complicated about the concept; it simply provides American pet owners an opportunity to pamper their beloved four-legged, feathered or scaly family members even more than on the other 364 days of the year.
For owners of dogs and cats, how to go about celebrating the big day isn’t hard to figure out. It’s basically about things like couches, food and “hand time.”
And it’s also pretty easy to tell whether a dog or cat appreciates the “extras” brought on by the day. Wagging tails and purring sounds are clear indications.
But while showing enhanced love to these more traditional types of pets is (for the most part) fairly easy, what if you own a pet that swims, flies or slithers? You have to be a bit more creative, right?
What if your favorite pet is a big ol’ Koi or catfish?
I guess it would be time to go nose-to-nose on the aquarium glass and maybe drop an extra chunk of baloney or chicken into the water.
What if your pet is a Peregrine Falcon?
I guess you could let the bird fly a little longer than usual. And since other birds are its favorite food, you could maybe offer up some game hen or quail.
What if your pet is a King Cobra or a Black Mamba?
I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to cuddle on the couch with your darling snakey-wakey, but guess an extra mouse for dinner would be in order.
What if your pet is a Bengal Tiger?
Maybe you could try the cuddling thing, but keep in mind that Frisky is a very, very large kitty, so be careful that he doesn’t crush the remote, or worse yet, your regular cat.
What if your pet is a hippopotamus?
I don’t know; maybe toss him a couple of extra pumpkins or melons? I’m not sure Hippie cares all that much.
What if your pet is a capybara, a tarantula, a kinkajou, a wallaroo or a sugar glider?
Well, if you live with something like that, you no doubt should do your homework on how to provide “special” treatment.
Anyway, for many of us, Love Your Pet Day is celebrated pretty much every day. After all, these animals make us smile and laugh, and they give us a much-needed positive distraction from the rigors and challenges of daily life.
The bottom line is, they share a lot with us – in some cases, as much or more than other people.