How to celebrate a pet’s birthday
When we love our pets, we look for any excuse to celebrate them - and birthdays are an easy one!
Whether you celebrate your pet’s actual date of birth, the day you brought them home, or for adopted pets, their ‘gotcha’ day, it can be a fun day to go all out and make your pet feel extra special.
Creating a pet-safe cake
Pet owner Kathy wanted to celebrate her cat Shadow’s 1 year birthday in a special way, complete with decorations and a cake, of course!
When humans decide what kind of cake they want for their special day, they usually debate chocolate vs. vanilla; buttercream vs. fondant. But when it comes to pet treats, things get a little more complicated.
“I wanted to make something really special for Shadow that was still safe for [him] to eat,” Kathy explains, “I know cats aren’t supposed to have human food, so instead, I used cat food to create a beautiful cake for [him] that would still be something special and different for [him] to eat!”
Checking in with a Vetster veterinarian made it easy for Kathy to get a quick, reliable answer on safe cake ingredients for her furry friend’s special day. She created a multi-layered cake consisting of some of Shadow’s favourite cat-safe foods (plus a few treats!), including:
- Boiled tiger shrimp
- Boiled steamed fish eggs
- Boiled lean beef
- Grain-free paté (chicken, turkey, duck, beef, or lamb)
- Pumpkin paté
Kathy even created a cat-friendly ‘frosting’ consisting of cat food with tuna and shrimp. We loved seeing the creative result!
Gifts for a pet’s birthday
If you really want to spoil your pet on their big day, a few new treats and toys are sure to be a hit (they’re kinda like humans that way). They’ll love playing with a new ball or special toy, and of course, may have more fun with the packaging than the toy itself.
When choosing your pet’s new toys, remember to check that they’re the right size and don’t pose any choking hazards.
The pet-party guest list
While you might think it’s fun to invite all your friends over to celebrate, and maybe even have them bring their own pets, this could be stressful for your pet. Just like when too much attention is on us, pets can feel overwhelmed and nervous when forced to engage in unwanted social interactions, and may run off and hide, or act aggressive.
Instead of allowing everyone to bring a plus one, consider inviting one or two close friends over. It might be best to have them leave their pets at home unless all of the animals have already been introduced and you know they get along.
A fun alternative to make the celebration a group affair is to go live on social media and tag Vetster, or snap some pics to share your pet’s birthday with all your followers! Who can resist a like-and-share for a tiny birthday hat, right?
Looking for more ways to bond and make your pet feel special? Check out a few other ways to show them some love, and remember: your veterinarian loves to hear fun updates about your pets as well!
