9 Fun Ways to Celebrate National Pet Month

1. Picnic Party

Pack some sandwiches, pet treats, water and a big blanket, then head to your nearest park for a pawsitively perfect picnic. Bonus points for matching accessories and shameless amounts of selfies. Just keep the chocolate and grapes far away from curious noses. Don’t be surprised if your pet steals the spotlight and the snacks.

2. Sniffari Adventures & Backyard Agility

Skip the usual sidewalk shuffle and let your dog take the lead to sniff every tree, bush and mysterious patch of grass to their heart’s content. Looking for a little more excitement? Set up a DIY agility course in the backyard using broomsticks, laundry baskets, hula-hoops and whatever else you’ve recently tripped over. Your pup will love it… and probably destroy it with pure enthusiasm.

3. Arts & Crafts With Pawprints Art

Get crafty and create pawprint art to remember this wild and wonderful stage of pet life. This activity ranges from "surprisingly cooperative" to "complete disaster," with no in-between. You'll either end up with a precious memento or a trail of colorful pawprints leading to your previously clean couch. Hang the masterpiece with pride!

4. Homemade Pet Treats

Turn your kitchen into a five-star gourmet pet bakery. Whip up peanut butter and pumpkin dog biscuits that’ll have your pup suddenly remembering every trick you’ve ever taught. Or try tuna catnip cookies your furball might actually head-bump you for. Fair warning: expect to be stared at intensely the entire time. Just don’t mix up the treats and accidentally bite into a liver-flavored muffin… again.

5. Fluff & Suds Spa Day

Give your pet the VIP (Very Important Pet) treatment. Think bath time, brushing and a gentle massage. Play some calming spa music and pretend you both have your lives together. For dogs, it's a sudsy adventure. For cats, it's their villain origin story. Have your camera close for the post-bath zoomies. They're scientifically proven to be 300 percent more hilarious than regular zoomies.

6. Give Back in Their Honor

While you’re celebrating your pet, think of those still waiting for their forever homes. Donate money, toys, food or blankets to a local shelter, or volunteer an afternoon of your time. It’s a simple way to spread the love and make a big difference in another animal’s life.

7. DIY Puzzle Toys

For mental stimulation, give your clever critter a challenge with DIY puzzle toys. Dogs love treat-towels that tap into their natural foraging instincts: just scatter a few small treats across a towel, roll or fold it up, and let them sniff, paw and nudge their way through the layers to find the goodies.

Cats prefer mystery boxes: cut strategic holes in that Amazon box you’ve been meaning to recycle, hide treats inside and watch your all-knowing cat get completely stumped by basic physics for 20 minutes before knocking the whole thing over and walking away in disgust.

8. Teach a New Trick (or Attempt To)

Teaching tricks is a great way to bond…and test your pet's tolerance for instruction. Dogs love the challenge. Cats might humor you if the treat-to-effort ratio is acceptable. Even small pets like guinea pigs can learn spins or mini jumps. At worst, you’ve spent 15 minutes making a fool of yourself. At best, you’ve got a TikTok star. Either way, the time spent together is priceless.

9. Cuddle Marathon

Not every celebration needs bells and whistles. Sometimes, the best way to honor your pet is by curling up on the couch and simply enjoying each other’s company. Whether you’re reading, watching TV or telling them about your day (as one does), those quiet moments are what pet life is all about. Until your leg falls asleep because you’ve been too afraid to move and disturb napping cuteness.

Paw-some Ways to Celebrate National Pet Month