You can picture it, can’t you? Little party hats and plates, each set in front of a pillow, intended for the four legged pet guests to sit on. Yes, it’s a birthday party for your dearest FurKid. The cookies are all homemade, meat flavoured, and bone shaped. The water dishes are all read to be lapped at. Streamers are hung just out of reach of little jaws and paws. And party games: Will you pay a rousing game of fetch? Or will all the four legged guests just head out to the 
back yard for a run about and a wee?
Let’s just address the elephant in the room straight away. Some of you are going to say: You are crazy to have a party for your pet!
But if you are feeling at all shy about the love you have for your pet, don’t! Pets are members of the family. They’re an important part of many of our lives and can be very beneficial for children, to help them learn responsibility, empathy and just to know the love of another creature.
And in case you are still in doubt, let me remind you of just a few of the great pets in history:
- Snoopy! Charlie Brown’s faithful companion
- Toto, Dorothy’s best friend in the Wizard of Oz
- Silver, the Lone Ranger’s trusted steed (Hi-ho Silver, away!)
- Fang, Hagrid’s boarhound in Harry Potter
- Dug, from the movie Up (“I have just met you and I love you! Squirrel!”)
- Lassie, Old Yeller, Pluto, Lady and the Tramp, Astro, Scooby-Doo (and Scrappy too!) and too many famous and talented cats on the Internet to mention!
So as you approach your pet’s birthday, don’t hesitate! Go ahead. Have a party for your pet! After all, any reason for a party is a good enough reason!
Here are some ideas to get your pet party started:
- Decide if you are going to have a family affair or something bigger by inviting friends and their pets. Or their children. Either way, it’s important to consider how many people / pets will be attending and if you have the space to take this on! If not, considering moving your event to an off-leash park.
- If you choose to invite other animals, make sure that you know whether they play nicely with others and make sure that their ‘parents’ understand that this won’t be a drop off party!
- Choose a place that is enclosed so the animals can run free and go for a wee and double check the space to make sure that it doesn’t have any safety hazards. Your dalmatian may be fine with that little stone pool but the shih-tzu from down the street might take an accidental dip if you don’t block it off!
- Gets lots of water bowls, treats and perhaps even some ‘pupcakes’? There are hundreds of recipes online for safe, healthy treats that you can share with your guests.
- Don’t forget a supply of bags for scooping!
- Plan for some refreshments for the owners too! It’s hard work being a FurParent!
- Party games: Fetch, Chase your Tail, Pin the Tail on the… oh wait, never mind. Let’s skip that one.
- Pass out loot bags (with yummy treats and toys) at the end but make sure parents hold on to them. You want to avoid introducing any aggression among the animals. You know, like the “Hey, how come HE got a blue ball and I got a pink one?”
Most importantly, go for it! You are not alone in your admiration for your pet, so celebrate and have fun!
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