March is here and spring is in the air! We’re moving into Daylight Saving Time, looking forward to longer sunny days, and spending time with our furry family members outside.
All month long learn how to keep your pets safe from poison around the house, and celebrate a very special day, K-9 Veterans Day on March 13.
Month-Long Holidays
National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month: March is an important month to prevent accidental pet poisoning. Pet parents should be aware of the hazards of chemicals, medications, foods, plants and drinks to keep their pets safe.
A short list of pet poisons include:
- Chocolate
- Grapes
- Artificial sweeteners such as xylitol–found in many candies and peanut butters
- Household cleaners and chemicals
- Certain soaps
- Some essential oils and liquid potpourri
- Paint
- Heavy metals
- Pesticides or herbicides
- Fertilizer
- Antifreeze
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
Pet owners should be alert to two varieties of Easter lilies: Asiatic Lilies and Daylilies. These types of lilies are common and toxic if ingested by a cat.
Any small piece of the plant – stem, leaves, roots, pollen, water from the plants – are toxic to cats. Ingestion causes kidney failure.
If your cat ingests these plants, call the veterinary hospital right away. Early and aggressive treatment can prevent kidney failure. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is a 24/7 service and you can call (888) 426-4435.
Help spread the word to educate pet parents during National Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month.
Week-Long Holidays
March 1 to 7: Professional Pet Sitters Week. Pet sitters are professionals who offer in-home pet care for your furry family members.
Show your appreciation for your favorite pet sitter with referrals for new clients, encourage updates about your pet, leave great reviews online, or give them an extra tip at the end of the day.
March 5 to 8: Crufts. Crufts is the world’s largest dog show featuring almost 28,000 canines in four days. The event is held in Birmingham, England.
In addition to dog showing, other events include agility, flyball, heelwork to music (HTM) a must-see event at Crufts, obedience, young kennel club (YKC) and rally, a true exhibit of team work between the dogs and humans.
One-Day Holidays
March 13: National K-9 Veterans Day. We have many reasons to celebrate everything our doggy friends do for us. March 13 is a day set aside to honor the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs throughout history.
We celebrate National K-9 Veterans Day in honor of military service and working dogs in the United States military.
March 13, 1942 was the official start of the Army’s War Dog Program, known as the “K-9 Corps.” It was the first time dogs served in the United States Armed Forces.
In 2019, a new American flag was designed with our K-9 veterans in mind. The new flag is yellow, white and blue, since dogs cannot see red. And for the first time, the new K-9 Veterans American flag was raised at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.
March 23: National Puppy Day. March 23 is an unofficial holiday to end adopting puppies from puppy mills and farms. NPD is also a day to celebrate puppy adoptions.
Puppy mills and farms are run by commercial breeders. The dogs are bred only for profit and most of these puppy mills operate under extremely inhumane conditions.
Support the Adopt! Don’t Shop campaign to encourage pet adoptions from shelters, rather than buying them from pet stores.
National Puppy Day was created by Colleen Paige in 2006. Colleen is a pet and family lifestyle expert, animal behaviorist, designer and author. She has other pet-related days including:
- Wildlife Day (March 2)
- National Dog Day (August 26)
- National Black Dog Day (October 1)
- National Cat Day (October 29)
- Mutt Day (December 2)
March 28: Respect Your Cat Day. Respect Your Cat Day may seem silly if you’re a cat mom or dad. But according to one source, Respect Your Cat Day was proclaimed on March 28, 1384 by Richard II of England who issued “an edict forbidding the consumption of cats.”
If you live with a cat or not, a bit of cat awareness is a good thing. Some of the ways that we show respect to our kitties include:
- Remember that cats are predators by nature. They stalk, hunt, track, chase and catch prey to survive. Cats love high places to survey the land and pounce on prey.
- Play is important for kittens to learn survival skills. Respect your cat and keep him happy with regular physical and mental exercises.
- Cats are social animals by nature. It’s a very old myth that cats are aloof, solitary critters. Think about how your cat follows you around the house, into the bathroom and enjoys grooming time with you. Respect your cat and enjoy the time they spend with you.
- Understand your cat’s behavior and support her natural tendencies. Feed her appropriate food – cats are carnivores. Remember that cats don’t act like dogs. Cats socialize and show affection differently than dogs.
Thanks for reading! 😎
Dr. Pet Mom
“Cats regard people as warm-blooded furniture.”
–Jacquelyn Mitchard
“Dogs are our link to paradise.”
–Milan Kundera