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Pet Birthday Celebration Ideas

Pet Birthday Celebration Ideas
by
June 25, 2025
in Humane Education Column
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By: Judy Lore, AVHS Volunteer columnist

Your pet is turning one or twelve; it doesn’t matter the number; it’s time to celebrate their time with you. A birthday celebration is as much for you as it is for your pet. Here are ideas from Milk-Bone on how to make it a festive occasion.

A theme can be fun! A Wild West theme is easy to arrange considering where we live. Find some kerchiefs – the more worn the better and outfit your dog or cat in one and hand out the rest to the invited canine and/or feline guests. If you can find tiny cowboy hats, that would be awesome. My dog would not keep one on and it would be her new toy to play with at the party. But that’s okay as it is her birthday. You can also add birthday cupcakes! Here’s a recipe:

Dog Birthday Cupcakes
4 eggs, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, ⅓ cup peanut butter (xylitol-free), ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 ¼ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, 3 cups coarsely shredded carrots, 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1–2-inch chunks, 1 (5.3 oz) plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Oven set at 350. Prepare for 24 cupcakes with liners. Beat eggs in a large bowl with a mixer. Add applesauce, peanut butter, and oil. Beat until it blended. Beat in flour and baking soda. Add carrot. Divide evenly into pans. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool. If you don’t want to deal with making mashed potato icing, use ready-made mashed potatoes and add the yogurt until it is of spreading consistency; just be sure to check the ingredient list of the potatoes first. Ice each and top with a mini-dog treat.

There are also tuna recipes online for cats that you may want to check out!

Here are some fun suggestions for a very good time: have a Scavenger Hunt – maybe with a well-used tennis ball or a small new toy. The size of your pet determines the size of the toys. If your dog and guests are into Chasing Flying Discs, that’s another fun activity. Check with owners if their dogs are ok with it. Don’t want any injured or dogs with bad joints to get hurt. Of course, the tried-and-true game of Fetch is always fun and tires them out a bit. (Note: always have bowls of fresh water available). On warm days, how about a Wading Pool outside? Cats may enjoy chasing ping-pong balls, a wind-up mouse toy, or a Lasso Chase activity, chasing after a feather wand.

To work on the western theme, put up wanted posters of your pet or the guest animals. You could crown a Rodeo King or Queen to the winners of one of these games.

Need more ideas? Make your pet a special meal, take your pet on a hike, donate to Ark-Valley Humane Society in honor of, or take your pet on a shopping trip to a pet store to have them pick out a new toy because they can never have too many toys. (I say this tongue in cheek as my home is littered with dog toys everywhere).

Then the birthday cupcakes are given out as you all sing Happy Birthday. Humans sing, animals eat. As everyone leaves, present each with a Doggie Bag or Kitten’s Keepsakes bag of treats. You’ve had a wonderful party.

 

 

 

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