Wednesday Medley: Love Your Pet Day

NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY

On February 20th, pet lovers everywhere observe National Love Your Pet Day. This holiday is a day set aside to give extra attention to and pamper your pets. This is a good day to focus on the special relationship that you have with your pets.

Did you know that most households in the United States have at least one pet?  While there are more cats than dogs in the United States, more households have dogs than cats, but not by much. Pets are not limited to the canine and feline categories.  There are quite a few who prefer the companionship of birds, reptiles, fish or rats.  Whoever your pet companion is, we are sure you will enjoy spending a little extra time with them on National Love Your Pet Day and reap the benefits, as well such as stress relief and lower blood pressure.  So on February 20 (and every day) show your appreciation to your pets!

HOW TO OBSERVE

Bring your pet a special treat, take an extra long walk or give them more attention on National Love Your Pet Day.  Whatever you decide to do, spoil and appreciate your pets!  Use #NationalLoveYourPetDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Love Your Pet Day.

1.  Have you ever had a special pet in your life?  Will you tell us about it?  All of them have been special! I suppose, though, that the last 3 have been extra special. 

Scooby was a toy Poodle who was meant to be our daughter's pet, but she cried and carried on so much about getting up during the night when he was a puppy that he began sleeping with me and became my dog. He was my little shadow and very protective of me. He died in my arms 7 years ago today.

Then there was Elvis the Beagle/Basset Hound mix, who again, came to us through our daughter. She loved him dearly, but after she graduated from high school she never had much time for him and he became more mine than hers. Still, he was the sweetest most gentle dog. He had a gift for bringing comfort when you were hurting and he came to us right before a very difficult 10-year stretch in our family's life. He got our daughter through the darkest days of her life and I shed more than my own share of tears on his velvety ears. I firmly believe that God called him home last December when it finally looked like our family would be okay....the job he'd been sent to do was over.

Now there is my little diva, Daisy. She is mine and a sweet, cuddly little bit of dog. She has been a good buddy for our grandson...starting with curling up against him on my lap when he was a baby and racing through the house and playing tug-of-war with him now.

I had hoped to be adding another Beagle I met at the local shelter this past weekend, but it was not to be. Another family beat us to him, but I will be happy for it since that family had a young Down Syndrome son who adored the dog. They will be good for each other.

2.  Did you grow up with pets in your home?  What did it teach you?

Oh, yes...we had Poodles when I was growing up. One was mine, but he was a male and had issues with my dad so we could never break him of marking his territory on my dad's chair and side of the bed. Mom and Dad said he had to go when we got new carpeting in the house. The other Poodle we had was the meanest, most miserable dog I've ever known and she hated kids...which meant she hated me until I was 17 or so. By that time, she was so old that she had a lot of aches and pains and even though she'd finally come to me to pick her up and put her in bed with me, she'd bite me for picking her up because it hurt. I was married and living in Florida when she passed at 18 years. 

I think those experiences taught me to love the critters no matter what the personality and for however long we have them. 

3.  Do you ever wonder what animals are thinking?  

Not really, because I usually know what they are thinking. If you pay attention they "talk" to us.

4.  Sometimes a pet gets out and doesn't return for a few days. What do you think happens to them when they go on a walkabout? 

The possibilities are endless and some are good, some are not.

5.  With cats and dogs being the most popular pets, what is the most exotic pet you have personal experience with (didn't have to be yours)?

When I was a kid and we lived in a wildlife preserve, my best buddies were furry. I've spent time with deer, ferrets (they still required a zoo license to have at the time), baby skunks, a black panther cub (our staff biologist was also on call at the Pittsburgh Zoo). One thing I've never had are the creepy, crawlies. I don't like them and sorry, but if it doesn't have legs I tend to have a phobic fear of it.

6.  Please tell us something random about your week so far...

Tim saw the rheumatologist yesterday. She spent a long time talking to him. She doesn't think he has lupus. She told him if a shadow comes down over his vision (and something else happens with it...but I don't remember what) to go straight to the ER. I asked him if that has happened and he said "No, but now I know what to do if it does." 

She is sending him for a lot of blood work again. She said she will personally call him after she gets the results, but he doesn't have another appointment until June 4. I hope they will move that up if they find something.

So, still no answers.