Spotlight On Pet Holidays

Happy Holidays! This is a busy month for many, with an abundance of seasonal celebrations. Christmas is the big one for many, but there’s also Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and, across the pond, Boxing Day. Our furry patients also have their own special days this month, including Twin With Your Dog Day, Shelter Pets Day, and National Cat Herders Day. In fact, pets are honored on numerous unofficial holidays and awareness days throughout the course of the year. A Des Moines, IA vet highlights some of these occasions below.

2024 Pet Holidays In January

As we enter a new year, many of us are motivated to set new goals. This makes it the ideal time to recognize Train Your Dog Month, Unchain A Dog Month, and Walk Your Dog Month. There are also several single-day observances in January, including Fluffy’s New Year (or Mew Year) on the 2nd, events for pet travel safety and seeing eye dogs, and special days for breeds such as 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 will also be more than happy to join us in celebrating Peanut Butter Day.)

2024 Pet Holidays In February

Love is in the air in February, and the holiday roster follows suit. We have a variety of awareness months and days to celebrate, such as Beat The Heat Month, Prevent A Litter Month, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, World Spay Day, and Responsible Pet Owners Month. Other important issues in the spotlight include pet dental health, Black Cat And Dog Syndrome, chained dogs, animal justice, and theft awareness. 

On a lighter note, mark your calendars for Drink Wine With Your Cat Week, Love Your Pet Day, Doggy Date Night, Cat Day, and Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day. February also includes celebrations for the Galgo breed, sled dogs, brown dogs, Golden Retrievers, Boston Terriers, and Whippets. Those interested in holistic practices can also observe World Animal Reiki Day.

2024 Pet Holidays In March

As winter comes to an end, humans beat the winter blues with St. Patrick’s Day. Meanwhile, our furry companions will have their own special celebrations with Respect Your Cat Day, Cuddly Kitten Day, and the highly anticipated What If Pets Had Thumbs Day. 

Fun and games aside, there are also some important matters to address, such as Poison Prevention Awareness Month. Single-day holidays in March pay tribute to breeds like Welsh Corgis, Westies, Podencos, Akitas, Terriers, and Newfoundland Dogs. Additionally, rescue cats, three-legged pets, K-9 Veterans, and anxious dogs all take their turns in the spotlight. Finally, cat lovers can rejoice with one of the newest additions to the holiday list – National Catio Day!

2024 Pet Holidays In April

As April approaches, many of Des Moines, IA’s pets will be eagerly anticipating warm weather. However, those higher temperatures bring along a few less-welcome elements, such as parasites. That, unfortunately, makes April the perfect month for Heartworm Awareness. It’s also Active Dog Month, Canine Fitness Month, Lyme Disease Prevention Month, National Pet First Aid Awareness Month, and Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Month. Raw Feeding Week, Animal Care And Control Appreciation Week, National Pet ID Week, and Dog Bite Prevention Week also take place in April. 

There are plenty of one-day celebrations as well. International Bull Terrier Day, National Siamese Cat Day, Tortoiseshell Cat Appreciation Day, Beagle Day, Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day, National Tabby Day, and National Little Pampered Dog Day all occur in April. There’s even a day dedicated to trying new ways to keep your dog active! Don’t Walk Your Dog Day promotes agility training. We mustn’t forget Every Day Is Tag Day, Pet Health Insurance Day, Hug Your Dog Day, Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, International Search and Rescue Dog Day, and World Stray Animals Day. We also have Cat Lady Day and Sylvester The Cat’s birthday to add some fun to the mix. 

2024 Pet Holidays In May

Chip Your Pet Month, National Pet Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and Responsible Animal Guardian Month are all in May. These pet holidays emphasize important preventative care, health, and safety topics! The first week of May also wraps up Scoop The Poop Week, which is decidedly less glamorous but still relevant. There are also Be Kind To Animals Week, National Pet Week, and Puppy Mill Action Week.

For one-day holidays, we have National Purebred Day, Dog Mom’s Day, and Do Lunch With Your Dog Day. German Shepherds, Podencos, Samoyeds, Chihuahuas, and Cavalier King Charles all have special honorary days. Mixed breeds get MayDay For Mutts on the 5th. 

2024 Pet Holidays In June

June is both Adopt A Cat Month and Adopt A Shelter Cat Month. (There’s never a bad time to adopt Fluffy, but we’re happy to spread the word.) June is peak kitten season in many places, so choosing it for Foster A Pet Month also makes sense. We’re also celebrating National Pet Preparedness Month, National Microchipping Month, and Social PETworking Month. Additionally, a few breeds have 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.

June also offers some silly observances, like Hug Your Cat Day, Take Your Cat To Work Day, and National Internet Cat Day. Pet Wedding Week begins on the 9th. Then, we have Garfield the Cat Day on June 19th, Ugliest Dog Day on June 20th, and, last but not least, Cat World Domination Day on the 24th.

2024 Pet Holidays In July

Here in the States, Independence Day is the biggest summer holiday. However, America’s birthday also brings about potential dangers, as many pets are terrified of the loud fireworks and may flee in fear. This is why July has been designated as National Lost Pet Prevention Month. It’s also Dog House Repair Month. In addition to these observances, there are a few one-day events worth mentioning, such as ID Your Pet Day and Pet Travel Safety Day on July 1st. Pet hydration is also in the spotlight. 

2024 Pet Holidays In August

August is a busy month, with a variety of special days and events dedicated to our beloved four-legged friends. From National Dog Month to DOGust, the Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate our canine companions. 

Kitties also have some recognition with Itchy Pet Awareness Month and both national and international cat days. There’s also Take Your Cat To The Vet Day, although Fluffy might not be too excited about that one. 

As the month comes to a close, we remember our beloved pets who have passed on with Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. 

2024 Pet Holidays In September

September is an awareness month for animal pain, responsible dog ownership, pet insurance, service dogs, and disaster preparation. We’ll also be putting some adorable dogs and cats in the spotlight, with days celebrating Ginger Cats, Boykin Spaniels, White Cats, Tuxies, Schnauzers, Sighthounds, and Doodle Dogs. Weeklong observances include Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable Pet Week and Deaf Dog Awareness Week. 

That’s not all! Our canine buddies will be celebrating dog walkers, dog groomers, Old Yeller, Scooby Doo, Happy Dog Day, Hug Your Hound Day and Canine Enrichment Day. Meanwhile Fluffy can ignore Meow Like A Pirate Day, Cat DNA Day, and Beckoning Cat Day, before getting to show off her best tricks—napping, pouncing, and looking cute—on Pet Tricks Day.

2024 Pet Holidays In October

October is a busy month for the pet community, with many awareness events taking place. Halloween may be the main event, but that makes this the purrfect time to recognize Black Cat Awareness Month. Additionally, October marks Adopt A Dog/Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, which we’re always happy to support. 

Other notable observances include National Pit Bull Awareness Month and Small Dog Awareness Month. The month also brings attention to important health and safety topics such as Obesity Awareness, Pet Wellness, Pet CBD, Animal Safety And Protection, and World Animal Month. For week-long celebrations, we have Animal Welfare Week and Walk Your Dog Week. We’ll also be honoring various fire pups, black dogs, muddy dogs, Poodles, Spoodles, Pugs, livestock guardian dogs, plushie animals, St Francis of Assisi, and Pets for Veterans.

 Let’s not forget about our feline friends! They have their own special days with Catober, Global Cat Day, and National Cat Day.

2024 Pet Holidays In November

During November, older pets get some much-deserved attention. Adopt a Senior Pet Month and National Senior Pet Month are both on the calendar. (We’re not sure why two are needed, but the more exposure for senior animals, the better!) There are also awareness days for some common and serious health issues: Pet Diabetes Month and Cancer Awareness Month both take place in November,  as do canine lymphoma and feline infectious peritonitis awareness days.

November also offers National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week, and various one-day celebrations. Cook For Your Pets Day and International Pet Groomer Appreciation Day kick off the list on the first of the month, followed by World Animal Enrichment Day. On the lighter side, we have National Slobber Day, Black Cat Day, Take A Hike Day, Get A Pal For Your Pet Day, and finally Wolfenoot, which may be our new personal favorite. We also honor our dear Border Collies and Coton de Tulears on designated days, before concluding the month with World Pet Day on the 30th.

All of these holidays, both the silly and the serious, are important to us here at Ingersoll Animal Hospital. We truly believe it’s crucial to raise awareness about animal health, care, and welfare issues. However, we don’t mind chuckling at our furry friends and celebrating some of their cute and funny qualities. 

Please contact us, your Des Moines, IA animal clinic, anytime. We’re here to help!