Happy Lunar New Year Pawshakers! In honour of the Year of the Dog, why not kick things off with a few traditional celebrations tweaked to include your pet (because every year is the year of the dog or cat!).
1: CELEBRATE WITH 'LUCKY FOODS'
There's a wide variety of foods traditionally eaten for Lunar New Year, such as long noodles for long life, dumplings for good fortune and oranges for prosperity. A lot of foods fit for human consumption are not suitable for our furry friends, so here is a link to a recipe to make healthy doggy fortune cookies so they can celebrate with you too!
2: STAY AWAY FROM THE FIREWORKS
Fireworks are a huge part of the Lunar New Year as the loud noises are thought to scare away bad luck, but dogs and cats can get very scared and not understand what is going on. So instead, why not stay in with your dog or cat and give them plenty of cuddles? If you do have plans, however, to go out, book a pet sitter to sit with them for your peace of mind - your furry friend will love the company!
3: SPREAD GOODWILL
Many Lunar New Year festivities centre on giving small gifts to people in your life who you'd like to wish a prosperous year. But if you are a huge fan of animals, why not donate any old blankets, towels or food to the local pet shelter, or even raise some funds to a local animal charity?
4: PAMPER YOU DOG AND YOURSELF TOO
Chinese New Year is celebration of newness. Some people may get a new haircut, or a new outfit. Why not give your cat a lovely brush, book your dog into a groomer if it's been a while (plenty of our awesome sitters offer grooming), or give your dog a relaxing bath after a nice long bushwalk!
5: GIVE YOUR HOME A THOROUGH CLEAN FOR THE CHINESE NEW YEAR!
All pet owners know that as soon as you get a new pet, the upkeep of keeping your home clean and tidy takes a lot more work...but it's so easy to let things slide! Leading up to the Lunar New Year, it's recommended that you literally sweep away the bad luck (or pet hair!) that has been accumulating inside your home over the previous year. So now is the time to have a thorough clean - pull out the sofas, clean under the stove and the fridge and get rid of any doggy nose prints on the windows or fur that seems to accumulate everywhere!
How do you celebrate Lunar New Year in your family? We'd love to hear in the comments below!
