Your pet may not be able to partake in the traditional St.
Patrick’s Day events, such as a trip to the pub for a pint of Guinness, but
that doesn’t mean they can’t get into the spirit of the day! To help you put a
new spin on this holiday, we’ve put together some ‘green’ activities you and
your pet can enjoy together.

Deliver a “pot of gold”
to your local shelter

‘Pots of gold’ don’t always have to be filled with gold – they can be filled with anything of value! For shelters, this includes much-needed items like gently-used blankets or towels, food, and water dishes, leashes and collars, brushes and grooming tools, or beds. It could even include open packages of food, as long as they’re within their expiration period. Ahead of the holiday, you can collect donations from friends, family, or coworkers, and then on the 17th you can gather it in a ‘pot’ and deliver it to your local shelter.

Fashion some matching
accessories

Feeling crafty? Why not try your hand at creating some matching upcycled accessories for you and your pet to wear. If you have an old green or white shirt, you can cut it into something you can both wear, such as a bandana for your pet and a scarf for yourself. To take this to the next level, tape three wine corks together in the shape of a triangle and use it as a DIY shamrock stamp to decorate your new accessories. All you need to do is dip one end in paint, apply it to your accessory, paint on a stem, and voila – you have a hand-painted shamrock!

Make your own green
treats

One of the best parts of St. Patrick’s Day is eating all of the fun green foods, like shamrock shakes! Unfortunately, most of these festive snacks aren’t pet friendly so sharing them with your pet isn’t possible – but there are plenty of other St. Patrick’s Day treats they can enjoy. There are countless recipes online that you can follow to make your own pet-friendly green treats at home. We love recipes that are made from fresh, whole ingredients, like simple dehydrated veggie treats. Try using pet-safe greens like bell peppers and beans to keep with the ‘green’ theme of the day! If you don’t have time to make your own treats, our fresh dog treats are also quite ‘green’ as all recipes from our kitchen are produced with built-in wind, water, and CO2 savings!

Explore your local
greenspace

Another great way to celebrate the day with your pet is to explore new parts of your local greenspace. This could be a trip to a new dog park, a pet-friendly beach, hiking trails, or a nice big park where they can run around on a long lead. Maybe you’re even lucky enough to live near one of these top dog-friendly national parks! Rain or shine, your pet will have a blast taking in all the new sights and smells – and showing off your matching accessories!

Flex your green thumb

If your pet isn’t able to explore the green space outside of
your home, why not bring it to them. There are countless pet-safe plants that
do well both in a garden or inside your home, such as cat grass and catnip.
Having plants inside your home that are safe for them to eat gives your cat the
opportunity to engage in this natural behavior – and offers a fun new activity
for your cat to enjoy. Both cat grass and catnip can be easily grown from seed,
but if you want to speed up the process you can often buy pre-grown pots at
your local pet store.

If you and your pet end up enjoying any of these green St.
Patrick’s Day activities – or you have other ideas to share with Freshpet
parents – we’d like to hear about it in the comments!

Source: Freshpet