Valentines & Pets? What if Fluffy Hates Your Date!
Valentines & Pets? What if Fluffy Hates Your Date!
Photo courtesy of DepositPhotos.com
If you really want to please your partner this Valentine’s Day buy catnip and chew toys (and pet-centric books!) instead of chocolate. Love me, love my pet is the new Valentine rule of paw.
Cats and dogs show affection and devotion in very different ways. What some folks might find objectionable actually is the ultimate in a kitty or canine compliment! Here are a few examples:
Cats hop on our laps—then present their ass-ets for a sniff. (It’s sort of a backwards kitty compliment).
Dogs jump up and knock us down or ruin outfits. They’re trying to reach/lick your face, a way of saying “you’re the boss, I love you.”
Cats claw your most favorite chair—marking something that smells like you as their most favorite territory.
Dogs chew up your favorite purse—again, it smells like you and he wants to be close to his beloved.
I’ve written and lectured and been quoted about dog and cat behavior and care more times than I like to admit—in dog years, I should be dead! Lately, though, I’ve branched into fiction writing to bring the “good news” about pets to a whole new audience. People who have no interest in a how-to pet care/behavior book lap it up like BACON when presented as doggy (or kitty) litter-ature.
My dog viewpoint thrillers LOST AND FOUND and HIDE AND SEEK feature a German Shepherd service dog, a trained Maine Coon cat, and an animal behaviorist. I adore my main characters in these stories because they’re real to me. Shadow-dog and Macy-cat love their human, September Day unconditionally just like Magical-Dawg, Seren-Kitty and Karma-Kat love me. What we’d do for those we love—human and furry—really drives these thriller stories. And in real life, we love our pets back. Some of us wish our human loves were more like the pets.
Photo courtesy of DepositPhoto.com
VALENTINE’S FOR PETS
Don’t believe me? Get a load of this! A few years ago, a joint global poll by Reuters/Ipsos of 24,000 people in 23 countries found 21 percent of adults would rather spend February 14 with their pet than their spouse. And the American Kennel Club (AKC) surveyed dog owners and found even more startling results. Nearly 90 percent of women wish their boyfriend or husband was more like their dog. More than a third of women said, “If my dog was a man, he’d be my boyfriend!”
Men also wish their significant other shared some of the same qualities as their dog, especially the quality of “always being in a good mood.” Only 23 percent of men surveyed agreed with the statement, “If my dog was a woman she’d be my girlfriend.”
Based on the results, men and women should go to the dog for hints on pleasing the special humans in their lives. In fact, people have such strong bonds with their dogs and cats that the human in your life may become jealous. Reasons include dedicating “too much” time to the pet, preferring to cuddle with the dog rather than their mate, or that the dog “likes me better.”
Canine qualities women look for in men include a perennial good mood, willingness to spend time together, eagerness to cuddle on the couch, and being happy to eat her cooking without complaint. The survey also indicated women appreciated how dogs helped motivate them to exercise. Canine qualities that men appreciate in women include being as happy to spend time at home as out on the town, offering enthusiastic greetings when he returns home, and not getting mad when he wants to watch sports. Men also liked it that dogs were “up” for anything he wants to do.
So this Valentine’s Day, let your romantical inclinations take into account the cats and dogs that your two-legged honey adores. That’ll have them wagging their virtual tails in purrfect bliss!
HELP! MY PET HATES MY DATE!
Dogs and cats are considered a part of the family, but what do you do when your pet interferes with love and romance? When your dog or cat hates your date, but you’re smitten, what’s a caring pet owner to do?
I’ve published two quick-tip guides for the perfect pet book gift for Valentines to preserve your love and romance. My Dog Hates My Date and My Cat Hates My Date are available on Amazon. You’ll learn:
Why Some Pets Hate New People
Tips to Fix Furry Jealousy
How Dogs or Cats Show Love
Health Benefits of Pets & Why Kids Benefit Most!
Pet-to-Baby, Toddler & Kid Introductions
Breaking Up? Tips When Fido (or Sheba) Misses Your Ex
Why “Acting” Like Dogs or Cats Makes You a Great Romantic Catch!
Now it’s your turn. Have you ever had a situation where your pet hated your new love? What did YOU do? And if you know someone that needs help–please share this post with them!
I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered–post in the comments. Be sure to visit my PetHealthyStore for paw-some products for your furry wonders! Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways, kewl product offers, and appearances related to my THRILLERS WITH BITE!
AMY SHOJAI'S Bling, Bitches & Blood - Pet-centric Writer-icity & Thrillers With BITE!
