Happy Holidays! This is a hectic time for many people, with various seasonal festivities. Along with Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and, of course, the UK holiday of Boxing Day. Our furry friends also have some unofficial holidays and awareness days, some of which are super cute! For instance, Cat Herders’ Day is coming up on the 15th. That isn’t the only fun pet day on the calendar, though. In this article, a local Oshawa, ON veterinarian discusses some of these other events.
January Pet Holidays
As we enter a new year, many individuals use this time to establish fresh objectives, making it an ideal moment for Train Your Dog Month. On the 2nd, we celebrate Fluffy’s new year (or Mew Year). Throughout the month, multiple breeds are honored with specific days, including the Standard Poodle, Alaskan Malamute, Labrador Retriever, Australian Shepherd, French Bulldog, American Eskimo Dog, Bouvier De Flandres, Boxer, Yorkie, and Tuxedo Cats. Our canine patients are eager to participate in observing Peanut Butter Day as well.
February Pet Holidays
In February, love is in the air and there are numerous events to celebrate. Most of the month’s pet holidays are focused on preventing unwanted litters. These include Beat The Heat Month, Prevent A Litter Month, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, World Spay Day, and Responsible Pet Owners Month. But, we also have some charming events such as Drink Wine With Your Cat Week, Love Your Pet Day, Doggy Date Night, Cat Day, Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. We’ll also honor sled dogs and brown dogs, along with the Galgo, Golden Retriever, Boston Terrier, and Whippet.
March Pet Holidays
As winter comes to an end, humans shake off their winter blues with St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Meanwhile, our beloved pets have their own array of special days to look forward to, such as Respect Your Cat Day, Cuddly Kitten Day, and the highly anticipated What If Pets Had Thumbs Day. Some pretty cute pups will be jumping into the spotlight. These include the Welsh Corgi, Westie, Podenco, Akita, Terrier, and Newfoundland Dog. Fluffy, meanwhile, will be happy to take part in National Catio Day.
April Pet Holidays
April is also Active Dog Month and Canine Fitness Month. We also have some fun single-day celebrations to look forward to. These include International Bull Terrier Day, National Siamese Cat Day, Tortoiseshell Cat Appreciation Day, and Beagle Day.
But wait, there’s more! April also includes Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, National Tabby Day, National Little Pampered Dog Day, Don’t Walk Your Dog Day, Hug Your Dog Day, Cat Lady Day, and Sylvester The Cat’s birthday. We also can’t forget Canada’s National Pet Day, which will take place on the 24th.
May Pet Holidays
The pet holidays in May are centered around prevention, health, and safety: the major ones include Chip Your Pet Month, National Pet Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and Responsible Animal Guardian Month.
However, there’s room for some more lighthearted celebrations. There’s National Purebred Day, as well as special honorary days for the German Shepherd, Podenco, Samoyed, Chihuahua, and Cavalier King Charles. Mixed breeds get MayDay For Mutts. On the 11th, we have Dog Mom’s Day, and on the 15th, we have Do Lunch With Your Dog Day.
June Pet Holidays
There are few things cuter than seeing kitties getting adopted! June is Adopt A Cat Month and Adopt A Shelter Cat Month in June. It’s also National Foster A Pet Month, which makes sense as June is peak kitten season in many places.
Several breeds also celebrate special days in June: the 1st is International Sheltie Day, the 2nd is Greyhound Day, the 4th is Corgi Day, and the 12th is Peruvian Hairless Dog Day. Then, June 9th marks the start of Pet Wedding Week.
Now for the really fun ones. First, we have Hug Your Cat Day on the 4th.The 17th is Take Your Cat To Work Day, which is followed immediately by National Internet Cat Day on the 18th.
Garfield the Cat Day is celebrated on the 19th, while the 20th is Ugliest Dog Day. Finally, on the 24th, we celebrate Fluffy’s favorite holiday ever: Cat World Domination Day.
July Pet Holidays
The Fourth of July is a prominent summer holiday in the States. However, it can also be one of the most hazardous for pets due to the loud and chaotic nature of fireworks, often causing them to run away in fear. This trend is reflected by July being designated as National Lost Pet Prevention Month. In addition, July is recognized as Dog House Repair Month, which we are confident our furry companions would appreciate. Furthermore, July is also acknowledged as National Pet Hydration Awareness Month. Along with these monthly observances, there are a few single-day events such as ID Your Pet Day and Pet Travel Safety Day on July 1st.
August Pet Holidays
August has gone to the dogs! In addition to National Dog Month and Mutt-i-grees Rescue Month, there are also special days for Work Like a Dog Day and National Spoil Your Dog Day. Beloved cartoon canines like Odie and Snoopy also celebrate their birthdays in August.
But the dog days aren’t all about dogs. August also includes Itchy Pet Awareness Month, Clear The Shelters Month, and national and international cat days. And though Fluffy may not be particularly excited about Take Your Cat To The Vet Day, it’s still an important reminder for pet owners.
September Pet Holidays
September is an awareness month for various important topics, such as Animal Pain Awareness and Responsible Dog Ownership.
We also have weeks dedicated to Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet and Deaf Dog Awareness, which are sure to tug at your heartstrings.
One-day celebrations highlight different breeds like Ginger Cats, Boykin Spaniels, and Schnauzers. Our furry buddies also get to celebrate Happy Dog Day, Hug Your Hound Day, Meow Like A Pirate Day, and Cat DNA Day.
October Pet Holidays
While Halloween is the main event here, October is also Black Cat Awareness Month and Adopt A Dog/Adopt A Shelter Dog Month.
We’ll also be honoring fire pups, black dogs, Poodles, Spoodles, Pugs, Muddy Dogs, Livestock Guardian Dogs, and plushie animals. As for our beloved feline friends, well, they have Catober, Global Cat Day, and National Cat Day to ignore.
November Pet Holidays
November’s roster gives senior pets some much-deserved attention. It’s Adopt a Senior Pet Month and National Senior Pet Month. (We don’t know why two are needed, but senior pets are adorable!)
We also have Cook For Your Pets Day, International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day, World Animal Enrichment Day, National Slobber Day, Black Cat Day, Take A Hike Day, Get A Pal For Your Pet Day, and Wolfenoot, as well as specific days for celebrating Border Collies and Coton de Tulears. To cap off the month on a high note, we have World Pet Day on the 30th.
At Clarington Animal Hospital, Oshawa, ON we enjoy celebrating every holiday, no matter how silly or serious it may be. We also think it’s important to raise awareness about animal welfare, health, and care. Despite this, we’re not above giggling at our furry friends, and celebrating some of their more adorable qualities as well.
