Pet Day with the Keto Cats

I grew up on a small farm, so I’ve always been around animals. In fact, I was on a horse before I could walk, thanks to my sister. The first time I got a pet of my own, I was in first grade, and my friend’s cat had kittens. I was so excited! And there was no going back from that! Since then, I’ve enjoyed the company of so many different animals – each with their own personality. Well, today, the keto cats celebrate pet day!

What Day Isn’t Pet Day?

In my world, every day is pet day, and that’s how it should be. I’ve had dogs, horses, ponies, hamsters, gerbils, raccoons (as babies, we released them when they were old enough), and of course cats! Today, we have three cats: Goomba, Koopa, and Link. When we first started this blog, we also had Tessa. She was an old, cranky sixteen year old tuxedo cat who looked after her own comfort first…and we loved her dearly. We lost her this past year, and it still hurts.

Hurt is a part of loving animals and adopting them into your family. I remember each who I’ve lost and I’ve mourned every one of them. It hurts and that’s normal. But, I wouldn’t trade the time I had with them for anything in the world.

Benefits of Pets

There are so many benefits to your furry friends! They lower your stress levels, which lowers your cortisol, cholesterol, and blood pressure. In fact, according to National Today, having a dog in your family decreases your risk of death by heart disease by 36%.

This is not a new thing. Historians found a wall painting that showed a man walking a dog with a collar that they dated back to 3500 B.C. The penalty for killing a cat in Egypt, even by accident, was death! And, when a family cat died, the Egyptians shaved their eyebrows.

We are learning so much about the physical and mental health benefits of having animals in our homes. 94% of parents who had an autistic child in their family said that having a pet was beneficial to their child. It even raises your chances of romance! 22% of Americans said they find people who treat a pet like family attractive. On the flip side, though, 44% of people said they would rather snuggle with their pet than their partner.

The Keto Cats on Pet Day

Goomba and Koopa are siblings. We got them from a cat rescue and they had been born into the shelter. Koopa is female, and her markings are very different. We knew we wanted her in our family. Then, there was Goomba. There were five orange tabbies in the litter. One yowled at us, and came over for love. That was Goomba. He had the number five in marker on his ear. That was our baby.

Link showed up to Bill’s work on “Furry Friday.” The SPCA would bring in a different animal up for adoption every Friday to feature on the radio. Link was one of those brought in. Bill loved him right away, but Link was young and he was sure someone would adopt Link quickly, so he didn’t bring him home. He was right. Someone did adopt Link right away. But, he had a runny nose and had to have medicine, so the family took him back to the shelter. Can you imagine? My sweet, loving baby ended up back at the shelter.

Well, their loss was our gain. The following Friday, Bill asked the woman from the SPCA about Link (that wasn’t his name then) and she told him he was back at the shelter. That Saturday morning, Bill left the house without a word. He came back with my best Christmas present ever – a little black kitten. I hugged Link and said I would love him forever. I’ve kept that promise.

Celebrating Pet Day

95% of pet owners say that they are a part of the family. 10% of Americans feel their pets are their best friends. The statistics say that 10% of Americans carry on conversations with their pets. I say, what’s wrong with you if you don’t? I’m thinking that’s just the number of people willing to admit it out loud.

The motto for today is “don’t shop, adopt.” There are so many animals who need homes. In my experience, those who come from shelters are so appreciative of your love and care. Well, with the exception of Tessa. She always had a bit of a princess attitude, but she was very unique. Personally, I look to shelters for animals who need me as much as I need them. The Siamese cats and the purebred golden labs will get purchased and have wonderful homes. But, the mutt needs love too. I guess I identify more with the mutt.

Wendy