Ah June.....perfect temperature, flowers in bloom, National Garfield the Cat Day.
'Scuse me?
It's time for pet holidays 2021! Our 2-legged, 3-legged, 4-legged, and no-legged pets deserve their own days. They give us their everything so let's talk celebrations.
MONTHLY HOLIDAYS in JUNE:
Adopt-A-Cat Month from American Humane. Each June, because it's a month in many places that's loaded up with kittens being born, this holiday encourages people to adopt a cat. And to get that cat from a shelter.
Then, go here to share your feline's story on the American Humane page. You know you want to.
June is also Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat Month from the ASPCA. What can you do?
-- Adopt a cat from a shelter. NOTE: Older cats are wonderful pets so don't overlook them. Kittens get adopted more quickly than older cats do so spread out the love and get a more mature kitty.
-- Donate money to the ASPCA who are extremely reputable and have done transformational work for many years.
-- Donate time, blankets, or pet food to a shelter for them to use in the cat area.
National Foster A Pet Month from the Petco Foundation. Petco's host "Be a Foster" events nationwide where people can go in and learn everything they want to know about fostering an animal.
Fostering saves countless lives in our country. If you decide to foster an animal, you're saving that life, plus the life of another animal who now has an open spot in the shelter.
Fostering gives blessings that can be surprising for guardians. Since a lot of people think the process would be too emotionally difficult, that's not always the case.
You're doing it for the good of the animal. And to offer a loving home to a creature temporarily is one of the most selfless acts you could ever do.
National Pet Preparedness Month
Go here to this .gov page and absorb it. Then check this out for 5 quick tips. The short version of these pages is you need to prepare your animals for an emergency while you're preparing yourself for one.
Lists will need to be made, things will need to be gathered, but once you've done it, you'll be ready.
During Hurricane Harvey, I had no idea it was going to be the water surge that damaged our entire home, but it was. As I tried to get myself and two of our dogs over to my in-laws' house (which isn't even 50 ft. from my place), the water was high with a rushing current. It was up to my waist and I was helping one of the dogs basically not drown. My other dog was doing a good job swimming across.
I wasn't far from losing a dog that day. When I think back, it was a dangerous situation. But it could have been a much more tragic experience had I not had Perk in a death grip.
Learn from my ignorance. You don't have to go through it yourself to know that a disaster plan makes everyone feel better. When you're in the thick of things -- anxiety's high and all hell's breaking loose….feeling confident about your animal's safety will be a huge bonus.
NATIONAL MICROCHIPPING MONTH:
It only takes one time for your pet to be lost to know the sickening feeling that accompanies it. If they're not chipped yet, or you have any misgivings, talk to your vet about the process, price, and how it works.
Contrary to popular belief, microchipping your pet is inexpensive and safe. There are oodles of pet-related companies who participate in this month by educating customers and supporting the holiday. We now have a way to always know where our animals are. Even when they're lost.
WEEKLY HOLIDAYS:
June 6-12 -- Pet Awareness Week (PAW)
Celebrated during the first full week in June, PAW was created by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) in 1981 for a couple of reasons: 1. To create awareness around having pets. 2. To show appreciation for our pets.
So to celebrate it…
1. INVOLVE YOUR PET IN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Going somewhere in your car during the day and not getting out? Take your dog. I take one of mine, Panther, with me a lot and we usually go out at night since it's so hot down here in TX.
(Always worth saying -- Never leave your animal in the car alone. It's inhumane and it's illegal in some states. I know it's easy to start the thermometer in our heads that say, "Well, it's only 65 degrees so it's fine," but sunshine through a car's windows is deceptive. It can get TOO hot TOO quickly.)
2. If your animal likes the water, and you don't have a pool, BUY A KIDDIE ONE AND FILL 'ER UP. Let the splashing ensue. Always a good time, plus the water helps to regulate body temperature on scorching hot days.
3. MAKE SURE THE TREAT JAR IS FULL. 'Nuff said.
4. IF YOU HAVE A BIRD, TURTLE, GUINEA PIG, MOUSE, SNAKE, CHICKEN, BEES, FROG, or RABBIT, (I created a zoo.) SPEND SOME EXTRA TIME WITH THEM THIS WEEK. We've captured, bought, or rescued them so making their lives comfortable and enjoyable is our responsibility.
5. THINK "EXTRA" THIS WEEK. Extra treats, extra time, extra love…
6. And of course, POST YOUR HOLLYWOOD STAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THE HASHTAG #PetAwarenessWeek.
The third week of June -- June 20-26 -- is ANIMAL RIGHTS AWARENESS WEEK:
In Defense of Animals, the famous nonprofit, founded the week so they could talk to the public about animal welfare and to protect animals and their habitats in specific ways.
"Animal Rights Awareness Week each year provides education and tools in the campaign to support animal rights. The campaign focuses on advocating for the humane treatment of animals, including pets, farm animals, and wildlife. It brings awareness regarding animals used for medical research and testing, too."
https://tinyurl.com/AnimalRightsAwarenessWeek
For pet lovers, there's so much you can do to celebrate this critical holiday.
Scientists have proved animals are sentient beings. They feel. Armed with that information, it should make you hyper-aware that because they can feel, they have rights. And we have a duty to try and follow/promote whichever animal right we know of that we feel we can be faithful to.
I'm a massive animal advocate, always have been, so I'm trying my hardest not to write a book about this holiday. But there are some things I'd like to address:
I was on a mission in 1995. I became a Vegan in one fell swoop over two decades ago when I knew I was going to open and run an animal sanctuary.
There was no way I could stand there eating a burger while I knew for a fact that farm animals were being horrifically abused so we could eat them. I also knew I was going to be saving homeless and abused animals and couldn't make the two combined issues make sense to me.
Fast forward to today, I'm now a pescatarian which means I only eat fish as meat. I tell you that because there are tons of ways you can celebrate this holiday (and every other day of the year) in defense of animals. And I'm explaining some of my choices.
I also try not to buy anything tested on animals. I'm sure you've seen the PETA bunny that is now listed on almost every product that is cruelty-free...Those are the products to buy. And once you start looking for it, you'll be surprised at the companies who still don't have the bunny.
If you can buy makeup, say lipstick, from a successful company who practices being cruelty-free, why would you buy it from a company who is still testing?
I don't wear leather or any other animal hide/fur, I try to always cut up my Dr. Pepper six-pack plastic so turtles don't get strangled by them, and I don't eat honey because we're losing our bees.
Don't worry, I'm not trying to persuade you to do something you don't want to do since I do this for the animals and for myself. But if you're interested in this holiday, I'm just giving you words for thought and ideas you can move on today.
Check out your favorite companies here or here to see which camp they're in. Then let your money do the talking.
June 21-25 -- Take Your Pet to Work Week
Check out the Pet Sitters International site to get some tips and best practices for taking Scooby and Scratchy to work with you! https://tinyurl.com/TakeYourPetToWorkWeek
And we've finally come to the DAYS in June that are celebrated:
June 1st -- International Sheltie Day -- The Shetland Sheepdog is a herding dog from the Shetland Islands of Scotland. As I've mentioned before, lots of dog breeds (and some kitties!) have their own holiday so move over Ms. Chihuahua. Shelties are in the house!
June 4th -- Hug Your Cat Day -- Some holidays just don't need further explanation. Hug your sweetie today or visit a shelter to hug, or adopt(!), one there!
June 8th -- National Best Friends Day -- Just because this holiday was created for human beings, it doesn't mean you can't celebrate it if your bestie is your pet.
Give your furry, feathered, finned, or scaled friend a special gift today to show them how special they are. (Especially since they don't borrow your clothes.)
June 8th -- World Pet Memorial Day -- Celebrated on the second Tuesday of the month. Today is the time to memorialize pets who have crossed over The Rainbow Bridge.
Whether that's to chat about them over coffee with a friend or to make a scrapbook of your time together or to just remember them. Our cherished pets are never gone from our hearts and minds and this day reminds us of that.
June 19th -- National Garfield the Cat Day -- The lazy, food-loving, sarcastic feline is one of the most well known cats ever. Garfield, the comic strip created by Jim Davis, was first published in 1978. The cat with the bad attitude became famous and to this day almost everyone knows who he is. Now go have some lasagna.
June 21st -- National Dog Party Day -- Wanna have a real party with your pooch? Here are some fetching ideas for one you'll both love...https://dogtime.com/national-day/64969-national-dog-party-day-tips
June 21st -- National Dachshund Day -- Wiener dogs have fans worldwide and this day is all theirs to celebrate! (Since there's a National Hot Dog Day, I wonder if they could combine them?)
June 21st -- Take Your Cat to Work Day -- This is a day celebrated during the week of taking pets to work. (21st-25th) Here are some ways to make Felix feel special as he slips into your workspace and promptly sits on your computer keyboard. https://www.petsit.com/takeyourcat
June 24th -- Cat World Domination Day -- Started in 2012 for a cat named Sparkle. Just because she was loved. Cats obviously know the day exists for them and take it upon themselves to try and dominate the other 364 days, too.
June 25th -- Take Your Dog to Work Day -- The Friday following Father's Day. This day was created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) "to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions."
This day marks the end of the busy week filled with taking our animals to work (21st-25th) and letting them see just what we do when we're not waiting on them.
Wow, what a packed month. Tell your animals they have a busy social calendar for the next four weeks. And go get your cat off your keyboard.
References:
1. https://tinyurl.com/Adopt-A-Cat-Month-Yay -- American Humane, Adopt a Cat Month.
2. https://www.dogtipper.com/fun/pet-holidays
3. https://tinyurl.com/The-Petco-Foundation -- Engageforgood.com
4. https://tinyurl.com/AnimalRightsAwarenessWeek -- National Day Calendar
5. https://tinyurl.com/TakeYourPetToWorkWeek -- Pet Sitters International
6. https://dogtime.com/national-day/64969-national-dog-party-day-tips -- "National Dog Party Day: Tips to Make Your Dog Party a Barking Blast" by Mike Clark.
7. https://www.petsit.com/takeyourcat -- Take Your Cat to Work Day
8.https://www.sparklecat.com/diary/cat-world-domination-day-announcement-and-graphic -- "Summer's Fabulous Cat Life: Cat Model, Therapy Cat, and Cat Lifestyle Expert"
#petholidays #junepetholidays
P.S. NEED AN EDGY BLOG? Just let me know. jenflattosborn@writeawaycreations.com or https://tinyurl.com/Website-Contact-Page---JFO