National If Pets Had Thumbs Day - March 3, 2025

While pets bring unconditional love and joy to our lives, not having opposable thumbs can present some limitations. On March 3, National If Pets Had Thumbs Day, we are given the opportunity to imagine what life would be like if our fuzzy little friends had that extra digit. Would they use it for good or evil? Grab your pet and read on together!

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day timeline

2017

Fluffy attempts selfie using imaginary thumb

While we don't have documented proof, you've got to respect the effort.

1995

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day was conceived

The idea for this holiday was born to delight both pets and pet owners alike.

3100 BC

Cat-headed goddess, Mafdet, was carved into chalice

Unfortunately, Cleopatra’s cat couldn’t hold or drink from it.

National If Pets Had Thumbs Day Activities

Teach your pet how to give a high five

What better way to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s five-fingered accomplishments? Finished your breakfast? High five! Found the elusive red ball? High five! Didn’t sniff your butt all day? Well that’s just good manners.

Make a list of all the things your pet could do

Give you a thumbs up or down on your outfit. Hitchhike across the country and send you postcards from exotic locales. Text you when you’re running low on Meow Mix. Play fetch by themselves!

Get a manicure

Ok, this one’s really for you. But your pet wants you to pamper yourself!

Why We Love National If Pets Had Thumbs Day

It would be a disservice NOT to have National If Pets Had Thumbs Day

According to the “U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook” (2012), there are approximately 70 million pet dogs and 74.1 million pet cats in the U.S. With that many pets, how could we NOT honor their lack of opposable thumbs in some creative way?

Pets are like family

In 2011, 63.2% of pet owners reportedly felt that their furry friends were part of their family. And, as all good family members do, we like to compare each other! While our children have thumbs and our pets do not, National If Pets Had Thumbs Day reminds us why this may (or may not!) be a good thing.

The possibilities are endless

Thumb wrestling? Great! The ability to open the door and leave the house on a whim? Maybe not so much given Whiskers’ tendency to harass the elderly neighbors. Having a day to fathom all the many things your pet could do is both entertaining and potentially a tale (or is it tail?) of caution. Either way, it will surely give you paws.

Also on Mon Mar 3, 2025...