6 Ways To Celebrate Your Pet’s Birthday

Did you know that 71% of PD Insurance members answered ‘yes!’ to a recent survey that asked whether they celebrate their pet’s birthday, with 14% saying ‘sometimes’? Whether it’s buying them gifts, baking them a pet-friendly cake or giving them extra love and attention, pet parents have plenty of cat and dog birthday ideas when it comes to celebrating.

But in case you need some extra ins-fur-ation, we’ve rounded up 6 ways to celebrate your dog or cat turning another adorable year older.

1. Cat/dog birthday idea: Make them an AI song

Don’t worry, even if you don’t have a musical bone in your body a programme called Suno will create an entire song for you with just a few mouse clicks.

You get 50 credits free when you sign up, then it’s just a matter of prompting Suno to do the rest. You can write your own lyrics or have AI generate them for you, then choose the music genre you’d like the song to be in.

Give your track a name and hey presto – you just became a music producer. Now to see what your dog or cat thinks …

2. Cat/dog birthday idea: Throw a pet party

If your pet is the sociable type, invite a few of their furry friends over for a fun-filled party. Set up a pet-friendly space, maybe your garden or living room, with plenty of toys, treats, and activities. You can even create a small obstacle course for the pets to enjoy. For the humans, prepare snacks and beverages to keep everyone entertained. Don’t forget to take lots of photos—pets playing together make for some adorable shots!

Tips:

• Create a pet-safe cake using ingredients like peanut butter, carrots, and oats. Check out these dog birthday cake recipes and cat treat recipes to get the party started.
• Have party hats for the pets. Some might wear them, and others might just have fun trying to take them off! Just remember never to force your pet to wear something they don’t want to. And supervise them so that they don’t get tangled or gobble up their party hats. Below is a how-to on making DIY birthday hats:

3. Cat/dog birthday idea: Shop the perfect gift

We’ve compiled plenty of excellent pet gift guides over the years. And while they’re themed for the holidays, the prezzies listed in them will work for a pet’s birthday, too. Dive into them below and find that perfect pet prezzie today:

• Awesome Christmas Gift Ideas for Dogs and Cats
• HUHA Ethical Gift Store: The What, Why, and How
• Ethical Christmas Gifts for Pets: Your Guide
• 2023 Guide to Top Dog Christmas Presents
• 5 Ways to Spoil Your Pup this Valentine’s Day

4. Cat/dog birthday idea: Go on an adventure

Plan a pet-friendly adventure or weekend away that you’ll both enjoy. Taking pets on holidays is becoming more and more popular. In fact, in the poll we mentioned earlier, 52% of our policy said a resounding “Yes” to the question of whether they take their pets on holiday.

There are some awesome NZ accommodation options available that allows pets. Check these out below:

• 5 Purrrfect Pet Friendly NZ Airbnbs
• 5 Top Spots for a Luxury Pet Vacation or Pampering
• Dog Friendly Camping: Top Tips for a Great Getaway
• Our Top Tips for Pet Friendly Accommodation in Taupo

And don’t forget to take along the picnic basket with pet-friendly snacks!

5. Cat/dog birthday idea: Create a memory book/scrapbook

Take this opportunity to create a memory book for your pet. You can either buy one online or put yours together from scratch.

Collect photos, jot down memories, and maybe even add paw prints using non-toxic ink. This can be an ongoing project that you update every year on their birthday.

Tips:

• Include little stories or captions with the photos to remember funny or sweet moments.
• If you’re feeling artistic, draw or paint your pet’s portrait to add a personal touch to the memory book.

6. Cat/dog birthday idea: Get them pet insurance

And if you haven’t taken out pet insurance policy with us already, one of the biggest cat or dog birthday gifts you can give is a soft landing in the form of pet insurance.

PD’s award-winning dog insurance and cat insurance means you won’t need to make head over heart decisions. You can rest easy knowing you’ve got them covered, birthday after birthday.

Take a couple of minutes to grab a quick no-obligation quote today. Simply choose the level of cover you want and you can get one or more months of FREE pet insurance.