Love Your Pet Day!

Happy Love Your Pet Day! Today is a chance to show your cat, dog, tortoise, ferret, gerbil, bird, or goldfish how you really feel about them. It's a day for treats, pampering, maybe a belly rub, and all the the attention that the little guy or gal can handle!

I love my pet! This is my sweet but very playful, 3-year-old cat, Benjamin:

Do you like to read stories about pets? Today's the day! Here are a few suggestions:

Kids and middle grade readers:

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Everything For a Dog by  Ann M. Martin

The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens

The Chocolate Cat by Sue Stainton

Ginger and Petunia by Patricia Polacco

Wings by William Loizeaux

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

Julia Gillian (And the Art of Knowing) by Alison McGhee

The Leanin' Dog  by K.A. Nuzum

The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley

Teens:

Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

Straydog by Kathe Koja

Stray: A Novel by Stacey Goldblatt

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt

National Pet Month!

Happy National Pet Month! This is a month recognized in the United Kingdom to help promote responsible pet ownership and highlight the important work of pet care professionals. Even though we don't live in the UK, we can celebrate too! Pets give us so much love and companionship, it's important to recognize those who help facilitate their health and happiness!

To celebrate, I'm sharing a picture of my pet. That cute, gray guy above is Benjamin, my cat! He was adopted from a shelter in Farmingdale, NY called A Wing and a Prayer Animal Rescue on August 31st, 2011 and he's now two-years-old! We love him very much!

Interested in learning about pet care? Here are a few books to get you started:

Dogs: How to Choose and Care for a Dog by Laura S. Jeffrey

Cats: How to Choose and Care for a Cat by Laura S. Jeffrey

My Dog!: A Kids' Guide to Keeping a Happy and Healthy Pet by Michael J. Rosen

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of cats, Cat Breeds & Cat Care: A Comprehensive, Practical Care and Training Manual and a Definitive Encyclopedia of World Breeds by Alan Edwards

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Small Pets and Petcare: Essential Family Reference Guide to Keeping the Most Popular Pet Species and Breeds, with 800 Photographs by David Alderton

The Complete Book of Pets & Petcare: The Essential Family Reference Guide to Pet Breeds and Petcare by David Alderton

Baby Pets by Margaret Miller

Remember, celebrate your pets this month as well as the people who help keep pets happy and healthy all year long!