For animal lovers, 11 April is a highlight you’ll want to mark on your calendar. It was founded by animal welfare advocate and pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige to celebrate our family members of other species and promote the importance of adoption. In acknowledgement of the day, we’ve put together our favourite ways to celebrate, which, of course, include some of our best online slots with an animal theme that you can play at our no deposit, free spins mobile casino. Your inspiration starts here!

Love and attention

As a loving guardian, you already pamper your pets, but celebrating National Pet Day is all about pampering them even more than you already do. Regardless of how much time or money you can spend on National Pet Day, keep in mind that the greatest gift you can give an animal companion is your love and undivided attention.

While some of our suggestions for celebrating the day may cost a penny, taking your dog for an extra-long walk with plenty of time to stop and sniff, playing hide-and-seek indoors or giving out extra tummy rubs and lots of playtime in the garden will undoubtedly make your pet’s day for no cost! Then, as furry members of the family snooze contentedly in the evening, you can indulge in some of our recommended animal-themed slots at our free bonus, no deposit UK casino!

Transform your garden

If you can’t get to the dog park or you have a dog that’s anxious around other dogs, an elderly dog or one with special needs, nothing is stopping you from bringing the dog park to your garden! Find a space that allows them to run and play without crashing through your flowerbeds, and keep in mind any windows that may be close to where you intend to throw a ball.

Now comes the fun part! Remember to think like a dog or cat. Set up an obstacle course for more energetic pets and introduce them to this activity by placing treats throughout the course to encourage them to explore. You don’t have to spend any money on kitting out your course. You can use a bench, a tree stump, a tub turned upside-down, old tyres and even hula hoops. Remember, this is all about fun, exploration and movement, so let your dog or cat go at their own pace.

Also include a water feature that they can splash around in to cool off, and what cat or dog doesn’t love to dig? Create a digging patch, either in a large, unplanted bed or a smaller sandbox. To let them know that it’s okay to dig in this spot, bury a favourite toy or some treats at different depths for them to dig up and always remember to encourage them verbally along the way.

If your friends or family have dogs or cats that get along, invite them over for a National Pet Day picnic in your homemade dog or cat park.

Happy tummies

While you probably have a stash of treats in the cupboard, how about making a delicious meal or snack for your dog or cat on this special day? Here are two examples to try out.

Peanut butter vegetable stew for dogs

Ingredients:

• An unpeeled sweet potato, sliced lengthwise
• Zucchini or yellow squash, with ends removed and cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, sliced in half or thirds
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (look out for pet-friendly peanut butter or make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol)
• A handful or two of peas

Method:

1. Put an inch of water in a pot, add potatoes, zucchinis and carrots and cook until tender.
2. Remove from the pot to cool, then stir in the peanut butter and peas.
3. If you have any stew leftover, place it in the freezer.

Catnip Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry cat food (your usual brand)
• 1/4 cup warm soy or almond milk
• 3 teaspoons of catnip

Method:

1. Place the cat food and dairy-free milk in a bowl (most cats are lactose intolerant) and mix.
2. Sprinkle in the catnip and give a stir.
3. Warm in the microwave or in a pot over the stove, although you can serve this soup warm or cold.

Foster or adopt

One of the reasons National Pet Day was set up in the first place was to highlight the need for dogs, cats, rabbits and many other species to be adopted into loving homes. If you’d like to add to your family, consider adopting from your local rescue. There are so many purebred and mixed-breed dogs and cats waiting for their forever home. Keep in mind that rabbits live as long as dogs and require the same level of commitment. Staff at your local shelter are experts at matching you with your ideal pet, and a reputable shelter will usually include deworming, vaccinations, microchipping and sterilisation in the adoption fee.

If you can’t adopt at this stage, fostering is a wonderful way to give love, care, and companionship to rescues while they wait for an adoptive family to come along. Temporary foster homes are always needed for those who are very young and need a higher level of care, or for the elderly or animals with special needs.

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• The Dog House
• The Cheshire Cat
• Birds On A Wire
• Bronco Spirit
• Mustang Gold

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