After this stubborn pandemic robbed us of festivities last holiday season, I’m betting many of you plan to get the most out of this year’s holidays by hosting parties, taking vacations, even welcoming your B-list relatives to stay for a visit. Or perhaps, all of the above. Fortunately, 2020 is in the rearview mirror. But as we close out 2021, we need to also not forget about the P factor…that stands for our pets.

One of the most challenging tasks facing pet parents is giving pills or liquid medicine at home to their resistant dogs or cats. It might also rank among the most dreaded tasks. Some cats seem to tap into a sixth sense knowing what is about to happen and hide out of sight moments before medication time. Some dogs are masters at spitting out the pill or liquid medicine or rapidly move their heads side to side to keep you from opening their mouths. Medicine-giving time doesn’t have to be a struggle for you and your pet.

Raise your hand if you dream of taking a long Mediterranean cruise, catching the Northern Lights in Iceland or snorkeling the famed coral coast of Fiji. This stubborn pandemic continues to take away the welcome mat for many to travel to such dream destinations. Instead of fretting about being unable to fly to foreign countries, focus on the fun you can have while traveling with your dog domestically, who is happy to be along for the ride.

Every body, including human, feline, or canine, is made up of about 70 percent water. All of us, including our pets, need adequate amounts of water each day to stay healthy and hydrated. Water helps usher oxygen and needed nutrients to every cell in the body while flushing out toxins with the production of urine. It keeps kidneys functioning, lubricates joints, and helps regulate body temperature. Without the right balance of water a host of health problems can ensue including deterioration of oral health and a very serious issue – dehydration.

Now that warm weather has arrived, there are many options for your dog to swim from backyard pools to lakes, rivers, and oceans. Swimming is a great form of exercise for dogs especially when it is blazing hot outside and the pavement is too hot on their paws. Water’s natural buoyancy is far kinder on canine joints than long walks on concrete sidewalks or leaping to snag a Frisbee in the backyard. In water, dogs can benefit from purposeful movement to keep their joints lubricated and their muscles toned. Swimming is also a great way to help dogs who need more exercise than their owners.

Dogs and cats do a lot of talking without uttering a single bark or meow. They are straight talkers who do not deceive or pretend. Among four-leggers, there is rarely a miscommunication or misinterpretation because cats and dogs communicate with one another through body postures, scent markings and to a lesser degree, vocalizations. Even though I have a degree in communications from Purdue University, I still make an occasional “faux paw” in determining what my cat, Casey, or my dog, Kona, is trying to tell me. To remind myself that I need to engage in a real two-way conversation with them, I purposely drink my daily coffee from a mug that reads “Wag More. Bark Less.” After all, forming a strong bond with our pets requires more listening to them and less yapping on our part.

Take A Hike with Your Dog…and Yes, Even Your Cat!

Let’s see how brave you are. I challenge you to cuddle with your dog or cat and take a deep inhale of their mouth. How’s your pet’s breath smell? Is the odor so foul you find yourself backpedaling or rushing outside to inhale fresh air? Or is the smell normal and non-offensive with perhaps a hint of kibble? February is National Pet Dental Health Month and for those of us who are lucky enough to share our lives with one or more pets, we can do our part to keep them as healthy as possible. And, that often starts by being “down in the mouth.” Yes, I do sniff and inspect inside the mouths of my three dogs and three cats to catch any early signs of trouble.

Imagine sitting on your sofa and watching cats perform live circus acts. Or raising a feline-themed cocktail to toast all cats everywhere. Or, learning the real differences in personalities and looks between the big boys of the cat world: Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats. Or hearing a rapper-turned-humane-cat-trapper sing a song dedicated to community cats.

All of this and more occurs every Wednesday night on Meowy Hour. I host Meowy Hour live on Facebook (with shows posted on YouTube). This one-hour show is devoted to all things c-a-t. It is presented by The Cat Fanciers’ Association (the world’s largest registry pedigreed cats) and sponsored by Pet King Brands, makers of ZYMOX ® and Oratene®.

CFA officials kicked off the show in June 2020 in the midst of the pandemic when the coronavirus made it too risky to stage in-person cat shows and stuck-at-home people were getting a bit tired of binge watching on Netflix.

In this mask-wearing pandemic time, it’s difficult to gauge a person’s mood because the mouth is covered. You can try to read the eyes or eyebrows in hopes of sensing if the person is smiling, frowning or upset.

Fortunately, our dogs do not need protective masks. And, if you pay close attention, you can possibly determine a dog’s mood by factoring in a key clue — his ear placement. This applies no matter if the dog has upright ears like in a German Shepherd or drooping, heavy ears like in a Basset Hound.

Raise your hand if you miss talking face to face with your veterinarian about your pet in the exam room?

I know I do. Our Furry Brady Bunch includes three dogs and four cats. Like many of you, I spend more time in the veterinary clinic than I do at the offices of my doctor, dentist and eye doctor combined.

Before COVID-19 arrived this year in full force in March, I made four veterinary visits in 2020. They included:

• Treating stomach issues in Casey, my confident, certified therapy cat.

• Performing a dental cleaning under anesthesia for Kona, our friendly, smart terrier-mix.

• Giving head-to-tail wellness exams for Bujeau, our shy Bernese Mountain Dog-mix and Rusty, our just-adopted orange tabby kitten.