Happy Thanksgiving! No matter what you’re doing on this festive day of feasting, we hope you’re spending it with your friends and family, furry members included!  When you sit down at the table tonight, we hope you’ll pawse to reflect on what you’re grateful for. Don’t forget to give thanks for your BFF! If you’re anything like us, your pet is one of your favorite companions. (Actually, our pets are our favorite friends, no bones about it!)

Here are just a few reasons we’re grateful for our pets, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year!

They provide us with endless love!

Who else is guilty of sharing all their news and secrets with their BFF? Whether it’s good news or bad, your bestie will always be by your side.

They make us laugh!

Has your bestie ever been caught eating something they shouldn’t? Like your entire dinner when you weren’t looking? Are they afraid of anything ridiculous? Do you find them snuggled asleep on your clean laundry? Or in any unique places? Dogs and cats are genuinely super entertaining! We love hearing about all the ways your BFF makes you smile throughout the day!

They love to selfie with us!

Anyone else guilty of taking a million pictures of your BFF? Okay, so they may not always be super happy that we constantly take pictures of them, but at least they don’t complain! We snap them while they sleep, eat, and basically go about their everyday lives. Our phones are full of their cute furry faces and just looking at a pictures of dogs makes us happy!

Their loyalty knows no bounds.

Human relationships can be fickle and fraught with problems, but the bond you share with your pet is solid and unwavering. They don’t care about any of the superficial qualities that some humans might — they just love you for you! No strings attached.

They challenge us.

Chances are good your pet has wrecked something of yours, whether they’ve chewed up your favorite shoes or peed on something you love. And, even though our pets may frustrate us sometimes, we’re grateful for the ways they challenge us. Besides, we can replace the material things they destroy, but we could never replace our BFF!

They teach us it’s important (and fun!) to play.

Whether we’re dealing with problems at school, work, or home, our modern lives are often full of stress. But our pets remind us that we need to get out of the office or stop studying and go outside, even if it’s just for half an hour.

They give us something good to come home to.

Is there anything better than coming home from a long day at work or school to our BFF waiting for you at the door? Short answer: Nope! Especially when they greet us with sloppy canine or kitty kisses! 

They give us something to care for.

Often, we just need to feel needed by the people (and pets!) in our lives. Owning a pet fulfills our need to care for another living creature. There’s no better feeling than knowing that our furry friends depend on us.

They give structure to our lives.

Who knows how we might spend our time if we didn’t have to feed the cat at a certain time everyday, or if we didn’t have to make time for walkies? They take us out of the house, get us off our phones, and allow us to enjoy quality time with them in the fresh air! 

They understand us — literally.

Dogs and cats can not only understand certain human words, but they can also pick up on our emotions. Sometimes, we just need to feel understood, and our pets can do that even though we can’t tell them what’s wrong!

They keep us healthy.

Not only do they improve our mental health, but our pets also improve our physical health! Studies show that owning a pet can help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce your risk for heart disease, and detect changes in your health! Now that’s something to bark about!

They fascinate us.

If you think about it, owning a pet (or several!) is really cool. We befriended animals several thousand years ago, and now share our homes with creatures that were once completely wild and untamed! The hilarious things they do each day have us in stitches.

There’s a reason that spending hours online looking up dog or cat videos is totally socially acceptable. Have you seen the clips of cats and dogs reacting to eating lemons on YouTube? It’s hilarious! 

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From all of us at FriendshipCollar, we hope you have a furrific Thanksgiving full of food, fun, and family.

Love & friendship x