Throwing birthday parties for your pets might seem strange to those who aren’t pawrents, but for those of us who cherish our little fur babies, celebrating their birthdays is just something we do. Right? Ok, if you’re not doing this already then allow me to explain why you should.

This month, our precious Bella turned 10 years old. Double digits, folks. That’s the equivalent of an elderly human being. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association says that 15 human years = the first year of a medium sized dog’s life. Year 2 = 9 years of a human’s life. After this, each human year is approximately 5 years for a dog. I have two degrees and this is math I just don’t feel like doing. Plus, after a glass of wine it’s a little fuzzy. Well, luckily for us lush dog moms there is this handy chart from the American Kennel Club.

Being a Labrador Retriever, Bella falls into the large breed dog category. So according to the math (and the chart…it’s not cheating, I swear) she is the equivalent of a 66 year old human being. Knowing this makes me want to give all my money to the Dog Aging Project. The thought of her not being in our lives devastates me to my core, even though rationally I know this will be a bridge we will have to cross at some point.

So, we choose to live in the moment and celebrate this amazing creature we share every aspect of our lives with. For Bella’s 10th birthday, I knew I wanted it to be a little more special than her other birthdays. We have celebrated every year since we brought her home at 6 weeks, but this year should be BIG!

5 Reasons Why You Should Totally Throw a Birthday Party for Your Dog

1 – Because…CAKE!

Who doesn’t love birthday cake? One of the best parts of throwing your dog a birthday party is getting to eat cake! There are lots of dog bakeries producing canine friendly sweets, but go ahead and get a “people cake” for you to indulge in. Bella gets a little teeny slice of the people cake but we finish it off. There’s Bella Birthday Cake for breakfast for a few days too – bonus! I found this beautiful pink strawberry multi-layered cake at my local HEB. It was so delicious!

2 – Because life is too short not to.

Don’t ever feel silly throwing a birthday party for your dog. They love to be part of anything you’re doing, even though they have no idea it’s their birthday. Your dog loves seeing you happy and celebrating is a happy activity. Every day is a gift on this planet and I’d rather spend my time doing happy things, no matter what other people might think.

3 – Because you get to throw a party!

I’m a fan of having champagne on a random Tuesday just because. All of a sudden that random Tuesday doesn’t seem so bad, does it? In the same spirit, I love to throw a party for any reason. Once I decided when we would have a big celebration for Bella, we looked forward to it all week! I couldn’t wait to decorate, sing happy birthday, shower her with presents and treats, and savor a sweet slice of cake.

4 – Because planning it is half the fun!

Bella has had many themed parties from ladybugs to turtles, a princess theme and even Spongebob. This year I went all pink with pink polka dot plates, pink and white streamers, pink fans, and a huge pink cake. I always get numbered candles so that I can look back on the photos and know how old she was in them. I found large gold numbers and all the decorations at Party City. The checkout girl laughed a little when she asked if this was for my daughter and I said, “My dog.” But I just smiled and remembered #2 above.

5 – Because an angel on Earth deserves nothing less.

We have but a short time with our four-legged best friends. I’ve had dogs my entire life and cannot imagine a home without one. Bella is there when I need a shoulder to cry on. She’s there to give me a laugh. She snuggles next to me when I’m cold. She waits every day for me to walk through the door when I get home (and her excitement level is as if I was gone for a hundred years). She is patient. She loves unconditionally. She is always happy to see me. She never leaves my side and looks for me when I’m not around. She doesn’t like it when my husband and I are apart. She protects me and guards against evil. She is made up of all the best parts of human beings and none of the bad. Is it any wonder that dog spelled backwards is God?

This turned into a tearjerker real fast, didn’t it? Back to the birthday scene…there you have it. Five great reasons why you should totally throw a birthday party for your dog. Happy birthday to our sweet Bella. You are loved more than you’ll ever know.

Xo – Erin

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5 Reasons Why You Should Totally Throw a Birthday Party for Your Dog appeared first on CathedralsandCafes.com

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