Celebrate National Dress Up Your Pet Day Every Year On January 14

• By NSC
• 3 Comments.

 

 

Calling all pet parents!

It’s time to make your adorable little furballs look silly.

That’s right, dress up your cat, dog, bird, hamster or other pets for National Dress Up Your Pet Day.

Why is this a celebration day? Because Colleen Paige, Celebrity Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Behaviorist, founded it in 2009.

(She does not seem to be promoting it any longer. The day does not appear in the holidays section of her website.).

And why do humans insist on putting clothes on their pets? Because the animals look cute! They’re part of the family and we like to treat them as such.

So this day is really an excuse to spend some extra time bonding with your pet. And showing him off in his costume.

Do the animals like this day? Well, some seem to enjoy (or at least tolerate) being dressed up. Others, not so much.

The two feline residents around here will not be wearing anything that’s not their own fur coats or a collar. Because they’re firmly in the anti-dress pets camp.

Sigh.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this cute unofficial holiday.

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Celebrating Dress Up Your Pet Day

Clearly, you’ll be dressing up any pet that will sit still for it! Don’t forget to take pictures to share.

Individuals

Sure, you could cheat and dress your pooch in his Halloween costume, but where’s the fun in that? Either buy a new costume, or get creative with things you find around the house.

• Sunglasses (or regular glasses) always look stylin’.
• Have a crown or tiara from your daughter’s princess costume? Kitty would look just stunning in it!
• Hats are always a winner. Any hat will do. If you don’t care about ruining it, cut holes for your pet’s ears.
• Bandannas are a hit with any animal.
• Scarves, too. After all, it’s January, so if it’s cold where you are, it’s the perfect answer to dressing up your pet and helping him stay warm.
• A simple string of pearls (preferably fake) is a beautiful accessory for your bunny.
• A tie makes your pet look sharp. Especially a bow tie. Because bow ties are cool! ;)
• Dress your favorite pet in your favorite team’s colors.

As fun as dressing up your pet is, just remember to keep your pet’s comfort and safety in mind, too. Make sure:

• Any collars, scarves, etc. aren’t too tight. Same for anything that wraps around the body.
• The various parts are safe for your pet to chew on.
• The costume doesn’t obstruct your pet’s vision or hearing.
• The costume won’t overheat your pet.

If you’re using items that may not be safe for your pet to wear unsupervised (tiara, tie, jewelry, etc.), use them only for the photo op and then put them away.

And remember, if your pet’s resisting your efforts to dress him, stop. Your relationship with your pet, and his safety, are more important than a cute picture.

Companies

Pet-related businesses can run promotions and contests:

• Put pet costumes on sale
• Have a contest for best-dressed pet
• Have an adoption event & dress up the adoptable pets

Non-pet businesses might want to partner with shelters or other pet-related businesses to help homeless animals. Promote it as a way for these animals to find their very own humans to dress them up.

Keep in mind that for these celebration days that have an “owner” (like this one does), that person holds the copyright to the day. So it’s a good idea to ask permission for commercial uses of the day.

 

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