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Dog Day Afternoon is a Treat for Felines, Too!
Dog
Day Afternoon may appear to be just about the canines in
our furred community but there’s a lot to be said for the
sophisticated, frisky, and always fashionable felines. We
all know every dog must have its day, but every cat lover
knows that behind every great dog there’s often a great
feline.
So can Dog Day Afternoon be as significant for felines as it
is for the dogs? The Louisiana SPCA recently put together a
panel of felines to get their perspective to answer just
this question and we were surprised to learn that the
felines on our panel found it to be a purr-fect afternoon
for them, too.
 Our
panel consisted of nine felines from across the New Orleans
area. There was Alexander, the excitable feline from
Lakeview; Sylvie, the sanguine black cat from Bywater; Doc,
the loner tabby from Algiers Point; Delilah, member of the
LA/SPCA Alumni now living in the Gentilly area; Peaches, the
night owl kitty from Uptown; and the Warehouse District
Quartet: Mardi, Mister, Baby and Miss Piggy.
Sylvie, being the most confident, led off the
discussion pointing out that Dog Day Afternoon was like a
relaxing vacation for her. Because she shares her home with
two goofy, noisy canines she looks forward to Dog Day
Afternoon and having the home to herself while her canines
are out romping in Audubon Park during the event. “For once
they’re not hanging around waiting for me to emerge from the
litter box,” she exclaims! “You’d think they haven’t eaten
in days they way they hover and salivate. It’s so
disgusting!”
Peaches concurred. She also pointed out that because
she enjoys exploring her home in Uptown at night, the
advantage of Dog Day is that by the time her canine
companion returns home from the event he’s so pooped from
all the fun and exercise, he doesn’t interfere with her
night time roaming. “He’s spent the day not only catching
Frisbees during the Frisbee Catch, but also participating in
the morning dog walk. By the time he gets home, he’s snoring
away
and sleeping for hours. It’s like heaven for me,” she
explains.
Doc, who is essentially a loner when it comes to
sharing his space with others finds Dog Day Afternoon a huge
advantage because it gives him some alone time from his
human, who volunteers every year at Dog Day Afternoon. “I
love her completely,” he explains, “But sometimes I like to
reflect quietly on my surroundings and when my human is home
she’ll have a TV or radio on and I find the noise a bit
distracting when I’m in deep thought,” Doc explains while
turning away.
 Delilah, on the other paw, sees the opposite
advantage. Her humans don’t own a dog but they celebrate Dog
Day Afternoon from the comfort of their home by going
on-line celebrating the day in a virtual way. “They created
this
great Web page that has my picture on it, inviting
their friends and family to donate to Dog Day. Every time
someone makes a donation, my humans add an extra cat treat
to my bowl. They also let me help them on the computer while
they’re creating the page. I really enjoy playing with that
computer mouse,“ she laughs.
 The
Warehouse District quartet, Mardi, Mister, Baby and Miss
Piggy, view Dog Day from a uniquely cosmopolitan
perspective. Because they live so close to the heart of the
city in a neighborhood full of art galleries, fine
restaurants and historic buildings, they see Dog Day
Afternoon as a unique time to soak up the wonders of their
neighborhood, absent of most canines on this day. “We fill
up our bags with catnip, and take in the wonderful sights.
We do most of our sightseeing from the safety of our two
story condo view, but if we decide to visit a gallery or
two, it’s nice to know we won't be bothered by those hairy
creatures.”
Alexander however had the most interesting
perspective on why he likes Dog Day Afternoon. He finds that
his humans, upon returning from an event celebrating all
things great and wonderful about dogs, shower him with tons
of love and affection when they return home. His humans
don’t have a dog, but every year they go out and support the
worthy event to help raise funds for the Louisiana SPCA, an
organization they faithfully support.
”My humans are Catholic," Alexander explains, “and I think
it has something to do with a guilt complex. They spend all
day surrounded by dogs, doggie treats, games for dogs, even
a doggie kissing booth, for goodness sake! I think they have
an overwhelming sense of guilt after participating in such a
hedonistic day of all things dog-related, and when they
finally get home they want to remind me of how much they
appreciate me for the wonderful cat that I am.”
As this fine panel of felines has explained, you don’t
have to have a dog to join in the fun of the Louisiana
SPCA’s Dog Day Afternoon. There are many ways you can be
a part of the excitement. Consider setting up an
online fundraising page in honor of your favorite kitty.
Or invite your cat loving friends and family to join you at
the event, and then return home showering your favorite
kitty with lots of love, after being gone all day.
So if you’re a pet lover -- whether it’s canines, felines,
horses, gerbils, or rabbits –
Dog Day
Afternoon is a Purr-fect Day for all! |
