It's officially the season for gathering, gratitude, and gobbling turkey.
As you start to make preparations for all your Thanksgiving get-togethers, it's important to think about your pets, too. Fur friends don't often get to (and sometimes shouldn't) partake in large family gatherings due to overwhelm, too many opportunities to steal human food, and a host of other reasons. So why not throw a little celebration just for them? A Petsgiving, perhaps!
While planning a Petsgiving might sound fun, it can be stressful if you don't know how to prepare. Thankfully, we've got everything you need to throw the purr-fect Petsgiving for all of your furr-ends.
How to throw a petsgiving
1. Choose a venue
While most Thanksgiving gatherings happen inside someone's home, you can choose to throw your Petsgiving anywhere that four-legged friends are allowed. If you don't want potential chaos inside your house, opt for a backyard celebration or an area of a nearby park (if weather permits).
If you choose to host inside your home, just make sure that it's pet proofed prior to your celebration. Once the party gets started and conversation is flowing, it can be hard for humans to keep an eye on everything their pet is doing.
2. Send the invites
Next, you need to let all your human friends know that you're throwing the feast of the year for their fur babies.
Make it easy on yourself and send a creative email invite from a site like Evite or Paperless Post. They have plenty of templates to choose from, so all you have to do is enter the information, gather all of the emails, and hit send! You can also easily manage RSVPs from both platforms.
3. Plan the party
While Thanksgiving celebrations are mostly centered around food, feel free to have a little fun with your Petsgiving. Want to include fun games and activities? There are plenty to choose from:
Turkey Trot: Have all your fur friends race or complete an obstacle course to win a prize
Show & Tell: Let your human friends and their pets show off their latest trick
Turkey Paw Craft: Create a Petsgiving work of art using your pet's paws, paint, and some feathers
Whatever you decide to do, let your friends know what you have planned so they can prepare accordingly.
4. Gather the supplies
Whether you've decided to create an entire itinerary or just want to let the pets enjoy some playtime, you'll need some supplies to make for a safe and successful Petsgiving.
Safety
A pet first aid kit, lots of water bowls, and a pet-proof environment will help ensure that it's an enjoyable and safe celebration for everyone.
This means removing and/or hiding any potentially toxic houseplants, ensuring electric cords and choking hazards are inaccessible, and medications are out of reach.
Food
It's time to put your chef's hat on and get baking. Considering that the holiday season brings a high number of pancreatitis cases, it's important to keep the food pet appropriate.
Try these Apple-Pumpkin Fall Pupcakes for a gourmet, tasty dessert, or these three-ingredient dog treats for a healthy, easy snack.
Oh yeah, you'll probably want to have some snacks for the humans, too. Whip out some of your Thanksgiving classics or throw some chips and pretzels in a bowl and call it a day.
Favors
If you want to leave your guests with a little something, while it's definitely not necessary, there are some great options out there that won't break the bank.
A bag of homemade treats
Decorations
Whether you want to create a gorgeous tablescape complete with gourds, pumpkins, and flowers or you just want to keep it simple and hang a wreath, make sure that whatever you choose is pet safe (and if it's not, make sure it's inaccessible).
No matter how you decide to throw a Petsgiving, your fur baby and all their friends will appreciate being part of the celebration.