The holiday season is fast approaching! For most people worldwide, it’s the time to spread the festive spirit by decorating our homes with holiday décor, honing our creative or cooking skills, and, most importantly, filling our hearts with the feeling of togetherness with family and friends. Perhaps you’re a new fur parent, or you haven’t started any traditions before; it’s never too late to create new traditions to give back to your companions and show them how much they mean to you. Here’s a list of our favorite traditions for you and your pet to share.
Snap the purrfect pawliday photo
Whip out those matching pet outfits, fun headbands, dazzling holiday decorations, and create an impromptu photo booth session! There’s nothing more adorable than dressing up your pet to capture the holiday spirit while creating memories that last for a lifetime. Doing this yearly shows the growth of your companion over time, and it’s something to look back on with your family annually.
Bake pet-friendly treats
Paws up if you enjoy indulging in holiday treats? We all do! This year, your furry companions don’t have to sneak around and wait for food to drop on the floor during dinner to enjoy a holiday feast. Whip up something healthy and safe for your pets to enjoy. From pup-kin spice lattes to gingerbread cookies, there’s a variety of safe and pet-friendly treats to indulge with. After their tummies are full, give them a belly rub or two. They’ll thank you later!
Ugly Holiday Sweater Party
Ugly Holiday Sweaters aren’t solely reserved for us paw parents, they look far from ugly on our pets! Host an ugly (or adorable) Holiday party with the fur parents in your family and friends. A few ideas for activities you can plan during an Ugly Holiday Sweater event are “best ugly sweater contest,” and photo op. Keep in mind your pet's comfort and find a well fitting sweater for your pet to wear or get crafty and thrift a sweater to DIY that’s tailor-made just for them.
Deck the halls and get crafty with DIY Pet stockings!
If there are children in your family, a way to bond with your pets is through creativity! Set up an arts and crafts station in your living room and get the kids involved by using recycled holiday décor to create pet stockings to fill with pet treats and gifts. There’s nothing more heartfelt than gifting your pet gifts you made with love. Stockings are wonderful keepsakes to keep in a memory box or rehang by your fireplace in the following years.
Give back and volunteer
'Tis the season for giving. There are numerous opportunities to give to rescue animals looking for their forever home. Jumpstart your 2022 resolutions by volunteering at an animal shelter or donate to an animal non-profit such as Jasper Ridge Farm (https://www.jasperridgefarm.org/take-action); located in Woodside, CA Jasper Ridge Farm is dedicated to enriching the lives children and adults with special needs through the comfort and unconditional acceptance that animals provide for people. Are there pet products or unopened packages of pet food in your home that another animal would appreciate? Are you looking for an addition to your family? Welcome a dog, cat or small animal from a rescue into your home this holiday season. Big or small acts of giving make the holiday season extra special. It’s not about what’s under the tree; it’s about sharing the love, creating new memories, and giving back to the animals that deserve everything and more.
Happy Holidays from Everywhen Pets!
Tag us on Instagram @everywhenpets using the hashtag #EverywhenPets to share your new holiday traditions with us!