Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Pet This Year

Every year as families gather around the table for Thanksgiving, we like to go around and say what we’re thankful for. Often times there are lots of thanks for family, love, friends and a chance to spend time together. Then, everyone smiles, digs deep into a bowl of hot mashed potatoes, or grabs way too many pieces of turkey, or indulges on pumpkin pie before eating the meal first. Meanwhile, your favorite feline basks in the sun by the window, or your dog stares up at you with those big puppy dog eyes hoping you’ll drop something down to his level.

This description probably paints a picture in everyone’s head a little differently, but there is one thing that I think we can all agree on: we are very thankful for our pets. They may not be the first thing we think to be thankful for while gathering around the table, but they are certainly deserving. So, this year why don’t you join us in saying why we’re all thankful for the pet in our life.

They Make Hard Days Easier

It’s been a long, hard day at work; you’ve had to sit in rush hour traffic for too long; you spilled your lunch down the front of your shirt– it’s safe to say you’re probably having a bad day. But when you open the door to enter your home, shaking his entire body in pure joy is your dog. No matter how hard the day is, that happiness that he shows just to see that you’re home is enough to overcome the worst of days.

Then on days where you’re sad or sick and you don’t feel like doing anything else except lying on the couch and watching television, your cat jumps up to sit on your lap. She purrs as you stroke her fur which can have a calming sensation to them, as well as you. As she nuzzles in closer to you and you can feel her warmth, your heart and health are immediately elevated.

They Make You Laugh

There’s a reason why there is such an affinity for spending hours of our lives watching hilarious cat videos online. It’s as if a comedian was encoded into their DNA. The way they are mesmerized by string or feathers or chase a flashlight in curiosity; you can’t help but laugh trying to wonder what is going on inside of their heads.

What about those times where you open up your dog’s food canister only to hear the pitter- patter of his feet scurrying across the floors? He comes screaming into the kitchen, but even after all of these years hasn’t figured out how to use his brakes on the wood floor and goes careening into the trashcan only to shake it off because, well, food. Or when you scratch that certain spot and his back leg goes crazy? Even the mellowest of dog parents can’t help but chuckle.

They Keep You On Your Toes

While this might not sound like something to be thankful for, it definitely is. For anyone that is or has been a pet parent, they know that it’s not always the easiest. Maybe it’s your cat knocking the flower pot off the shelf or your pup getting into the trash, no day is ever dull as a pet parent. There are always those days where your patience will be tried, but when you look at them 10 minutes later you don’t even remember what you were mad about. They have a way of getting you to develop a selective memory.

They give you a sense of purpose, and it’s one of the best jobs that you could ever have. The satisfaction you get when your pup raises his hand to shake on command after training, or seeing your cat go lay her claws into her scratching post rather than your curtains gives you great pride in your ability to raise them.