5 Ways to Celebrate Your Friend's New Pet

What’s the next best thing to welcoming an animal companion into your home? When a friend brings home a new pet!

Whether we get to scratch, snuggle or pet our friend’s new addition in person, or wave long-distance via Zoom, we experience the vicarious thrill of new love. And isn’t it wonderful that there’s so much love to go around that we can adore someone else’s pet without diminishing our love for our own? 

Here are some great ideas to mark the occasion. 

Bake or Buy Gourmet Pet Treats
As far as a pet is concerned, treats are treats. But there’s something about putting our heart into baking them that feels extra-special. I’d like to think the time and care we put into making them infuses the treats with good vibes. 

Here are some free online recipes: 
For dogs: recipes and fun tips from the American Kennel Club
For cats: three recipes courtesy of ASPCA Pet Insurance
For reptiles: healthy treats from Hartz
Of course, not everyone has time to bake. But store-bought treats don’t have to feel impersonal when you buy from a local gourmet pet kitchen. In Minneapolis, we like dog and cat treats from Pet Wants. 


Give a Welcome Plaque
We can’t always know our pet’s birthday, but we won’t forget their “Gotcha Day”. Commemorate that special day for your friend by giving them a personalized welcome plaque that incorporates the pet’s name, likeness, and a custom message. What pet owner wouldn’t love a welcome gift they can display? 

Treat Them to Grooming
Sooner or later, every dog gets dirty. So when a friend brings home a pet of the canine variety, you can’t go wrong with a gift certificate for grooming services. 

Play Photographer and Filmmaker
If they’re on social media, what pet owner can resist sharing photos and videos? However, it’s usually the pet owner behind the camera, which means they rarely get to capture their own interactions with their pet. 

Why not schedule a visit to your friend and their pet, and take lots of shareable pictures and videos? Getting video of the pet playing is always fun, and the pet owner will likely treasure any evidence of the pet’s affection for them, such as head-butting and slobbery kisses. 

​One sneaky benefit for you is that you can capture the pet’s likeness for reproduction on a commemorative welcome plaque. 

Offer to Pet-Sit
It’s a huge comfort to a pet owner when they know they can leave their pet with someone attentive and responsible. 

You can make your offer to pet-sit extra cute by creating an official-looking gift certificate for your own services. Download our Free Printable coupon and personalize your cuddle coupon for your friend. ​

When a friend gets a new pet, it’s a big deal. It’s an opportunity for them to generate more love in the world and it will enrich their life in so many ways. Show them how much their happiness means to you. Celebrate your friend’s new pet! ​​

CONTENT WRITER, BARKTIQUE + MEOW

Kim Brittingham

Kim Brittingham is a content writer for Barktique + Meow, animal lover, and history buff residing at the Jersey Shore. She is the author of Read My Hips (Three Rivers Press/Random House, 2011) and Write That Memoir Right Now (Blackstone, 2013). She's a willing servant to a rescued miniature poodle named Clarice.