It’s very apparent that we all love our pets, and there’s just about nothing we won’t do for them. This fact is even reflected in one of the recent polls that have emerged on the internet. In one poll of 2,000 pet owners, over 70% of participants said that they regularly prioritize their pet’s needs before their own.

In another poll, approximately 80% of pet owners said that coming home to their fur babies was the best part of their entire day. So, it goes without saying that our pets are very important to all of us who own them. Another thing that has occurred to us is that we pet owners are always looking for opportunities to bond with our pets.

Pet parents will use any excuse to spend time with their beloved pets, and that’s why we decided to help them out a little bit. We decided that perhaps it was a good idea to go into some of the pet holidays that will give pet parents a chance to bond with their fur babies. Let’s check out these holidays and find out how they can be used to forge a greater bond between pet owners and their pets.

Hug Your Cat Day (June 4th)

Most cat owners don’t need a reason to hug their cats and will do so anytime their cat gives them a chance. This holiday just gives them an excuse to give out a few extra hugs to their feline friends. Of course, people can also use this holiday to buy their cats a special treat, too.

Giving their cats a new toy, scratching post, or catnip is a great way to further strengthen the bond between the cat owner and their feline friends.

Take Your Dog To Work Day (June 23rd)

This holiday is dedicated to all those dog owners who feel a pang of guilt whenever they have to head to work and leave their dog home alone. This is a day for dog owners to take their dogs to work — if their employers say that it’s okay and they have a pet-friendly workplace.

If dog parents can’t bring their dogs to work on this day, they can always consider calling in sick and spending the entire day with their pups.

National Mutt Day (July 31st & December 2nd)

Now, we have to be honest here. This holiday is actually a day that’s just a general celebration of mixed-breed dogs. However, we feel that this holiday can also be a great day for people to spend time with their mixed-breed dogs. And what’s great about this holiday is that it happens twice a year. If you miss one instance of it, another instance is only a few months away.

Dog Appreciation Day (August 26th)

The name of this holiday says it all. This is a day that’s dedicated to showing your dog some appreciation. The way that you do it is up to you. For some pet parents, taking the dogs for a hike out in the country is a good way to show them some appreciation.

For other pet parents, it’s buying their pet a new toy or treat. We’re not here to tell people how to celebrate their dogs; only you and your pets know that.

All American Pet Photo Day (July 11th)

Although this is a holiday dedicated to pet parents taking patriotic photos with their furry babies, it doesn’t mean that those are the only photos that people can take. And we’re also going to say that you don’t even have to be an American to celebrate this day. Anyone can take photos with their pets on this day and memorialize their relationship with their pets for all time.

Walk Your Dog Week (October 1st Through 7th)

Another holiday that strengthens the bond between a dog and an owner is Walk Your Dog Week. This is a holiday that encourages pet owners to take their dogs out for an extra-long walk all week long. While most people should already be walking their dogs on a regular basis to keep them healthy, this holiday is a much-needed reminder that walking a dog can help an owner forge a one-of-a-kind bond.

National Hug Your Hound Day (Second Sunday in September)

Anyone who owns a hound dog doesn’t need a reason to hug it. They just have a face that makes people want to hug them every single day. This holiday is just an excuse to give your hound an extra hug or two. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Redbone Coonhound, Afghan Hound, Bloodhound, Basset Hound, or any other type of hound. All hounds are deserving of a few extra hugs on this day.

National Cat Day (October 29th)

To be honest, every day is cat day — just ask anyone who owns a cat, and they will tell you it’s true. Cats walk around the house as if they’re the most important living beings in the household, and in many cases, that isn’t far from the truth. This is just another day to bask in all the cat glory and for pet owners to spend some time with their feline friends.

National Cook For Your Pets Day (November 1st)

The last holiday that we’d like to talk about is National Cook for Your Pets Day. As the name suggests, it’s a day for all pet owners to make their furry friends a special meal. Of course, what you make for them will all depend on what species they are — after all, a special meal for a fish is going to differ greatly from a special meal for a dog. At least, that’s what we hope.

That does it for us today. We hope that our exploration of the above pet holidays will give you a few extra reasons to spend some extra time with your pets. At least, that’s the hope. There exists a special bond between pet owners and their pets, and we feel that everyone should take the time to strengthen that bond whenever they get the chance.