Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your furry friend

They love us unconditionally, and are excited to see us every time we walk in the door. We see them as our life companions, best friends or family members, and most of us cannot imagine life without them.

We know you don’t really need a special day to spoil your paw-fect pal, but why not celebrate Valentine’s Day with them anyway?

We’ve put our heads together and come up with our top suggestions for celebrating the day of love with your fur baby.

Time – the greatest gift of all

Spend some extra time with your pet on Valentine’s Day, or, if you’ve got plans with a human companion, schedule it for another day – your four-legged friend won’t know the difference!

It’s not all about quality time. Just being around your fur baby more than usual will make their day! If a small portion of it is spent doing something special together, so much the better.

The purr-fect Valentine’s date night

Get out the popcorn (for you, not your pet), hop on the couch and watch a movie together. Most pets will glance at the TV occasionally, especially if you’re watching it or if the TV show features animals on screen.

For cats, that’s usually footage of their favourite prey, such as garden birds and small mammals, while for dogs, it tends to be other dogs or even wolves!

Snuggle up together

Does your fur baby love to cuddle? If so, curl up together on the couch or make a comfy ‘bed’ on the floor, or even let them snuggle up to you on your bed as a special treat (if this isn’t already a regular occurrence!)

Some pets are more willing to cuddle than others. If your pet isn’t keen, rather sit or lie as close to them as they are comfortable with, and try giving them a back rub, a belly tickle or an ear scratch instead.

Indulge in a pamper session

Give your four-legged Valentine a massage and a good round of grooming from top to tail.

A gentle massage can improve circulation and ease stiff or sore muscles. Most pets enjoy being brushed, and their skin and coat will benefit too. If your pooch or kitty isn’t a fan, they may prefer a gentle tummy tickle instead.

The way to their heart is through the stomach

Buy or make your four-legged Valentine a yummy treat, or serve up their favourite meal. If they tend to guzzle their grub in ten seconds flat, try putting it in a food maze or food dispensing toy to prolong their pleasure.

Toys are a paw-some present

Spoil your fur baby with a new toy  – replace a worn out or chewed up one with a brand new one of the same, or get something completely different.

Make it an interactive toy and spend some time playing with them. Laser wands, bubbles and catnip toys are sure to be a hit with cats, while most dogs enjoy a few rounds of tug or fetch.

Read more:

Best dog toys available in Australia

Cat play and toys – it’s not just fun & games!

 Play fun games

Whether a brand-new game or an old favourite, your furry family member will enjoy the excitement and attention that playing a game together entails. Once your furry friend gets the gist of how the game works, a round or three of hide-and-seek, tug or peek-a-boo will add a whole lot of fun to your Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Hide and seek is a great game that challenges your pet’s cognitive abilities, such as memory. You can hide favourite toys or treats around the house or garden for them to find. To ensure they enjoy these games, start with very easy hiding places and work up to trickier ones, giving lots of praise and rewards when they succeed.

Read more:

Indoor workouts for dogs

Explore the great outdoors

Take your pooch on a special outing to their favourite place or visit somewhere new (dog park, dog beach, café with puppuccino’s…) or simply go for an extra-long walk together.

If you’ve never taken your indoor cat on a safe outdoor stroll, you may consider investing in a harness and leash and giving it a go!

Read more:

Walking with cats: Tips for leash walking, hiking and camping with your cat

♥ Whether you do just one of the above activities with your precious pet, or spend the whole day working your way through the entire list, Valentine’s Day – the day of celebrating love – will take on a whole new meaning!

Because there’s one thing for sure – your fur baby loves you unconditionally, and will enjoy the time you spending together, whatever you choose to do! ♥

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