Pets Add Life (PAL), a campaign to promote responsible pet parenting, has officially declared November 19th National Get a Pal For Your Pet Day. We are so on board. We love having multiples.

WE CELEBRATE EVERY DAY

This morning, we had a zoo of a time taking all four animals to the vet – at once. As pet parents, my husband and I found the outing great fun (the exams were strictly checkups), but Emmett, our hound, was stressed. Emmett equates vet visits with the time he had 25 staples.

Having our amiable Newf, Shamus, by his side tells Emmett that the vet is not so bad. The same can be said for our two cats. While they don’t mind the vet, Jed dreads the car. Placing the cat carriers face to face let’s Jackson’s calm demeanor comfort his feline brother.

LIFE WITH MULTIPLES

Of course, having multiples seems obviously beneficial during today’s vet visit. But we see constant benefits in our daily living, too. One alerts the other about fun things to sniff out, and they exercise each other in rousing games of chase. And tell me these guys don’t deeply love each other, especially in their down time.

MULTIPLE PETS MULTIPLY GOOD

Did a sense of calm take over as you watched our fur-kids cuddling? Did you feel your blood pressure drop? If that second question is difficult to answer, that’s okay. It’s a medically proven fact . (See articles below.) My animals truly calm my restless spirit. I’ve learned to seek that out when I need peace. You can too.

And just as it’s important for humans to have meaningful relationships, PAL says:

Pets can also benefit immensely from additional animal companions. Giving your pet a friend allows it to interact with other animals, which results in a more active and social animal. Studies have even shown that multiple pets can help ease a pet’s separation anxiety from its owner, as well as revitalize older animals when a new pet is introduced.

RSVP for National Get a Pal For Your Pet Day on Facebook and tell PAL which pets in your family would love a new friend!

HEALTH BENEFITS

If you are considering owning multiple pets, the following resources prove that getting that new cat or dog can be really good for you.

• 5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health by WebMD
• Multiple Pet Households Benefits for Both Owners and Their Pets by VPI Pet Insurance
• The Benefits of Multiple Pets by Banfield, The Pet Hospital® on PetSmart
• Health Benefits of Dog, Cat or Other Pet Ownership Ranges From Lowering Blood Pressure to a Strong Immune System by Pets Are Me
• Health Benefits of Pet Ownership by Pet Research

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. While I am compensated for spreading the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, I take part because I believe strongly – with the destruction of 4 million perfectly adoptable animals in the US alone —  in the grand importance of this mission!