This is my pet. My dog, Steve. Everyday is National Pet Day in our house.

It's National Pet Day, which is like any day that ends in "y" in Northern Colorado. Some places call themselves "pet friendly", but spend a few days around here and you'll find that we walk the talk. It's rare to go to a store and not see people with their dogs, or in one case, a man walking his cat with a leash. I was in the belt sander section of a hardware store when I saw that. To this day just seeing a belt sander makes me think of the man with his cat on a leash.

Here are some interesting things about people and their pets on a national level:

  • A study by the Mayo Clinic reveals that people sleep better when they cuddle with their pets.
  • A survey by Tails.com reveals that 89% of pet owners treat their pets to human snacks.
  • 80% of couples discuss pets before getting engaged. (The Knot)
  • More Than Pet Insurance says that 45% of people throw birthday parties for their pets.
  • They also say that 8% of people have a Facebook, Instagram, or other social media site just for their pet. I'm guilty here. Steve has his own Facebook page. Steve A. Canine.
  • 29% of people have more pictures than family members or friends on their social media profiles. (Rover.com)

A survey by Animal Friends reveals that 20% of singles would rather date someone with a pet than a non-pet owner. Other findings:
- 33% of people would much rather kiss a pet owner than a non-pet owner.
- 12% of people would dump a partner if they disliked their pet.
- 10% of single men of use their dog as a wingman

The most popular pets:
1. Dogs (about 45% have a dog)
2. Cats (30%)
3. Fish (9%)
4. Birds (5%)
5. Hamsters, gerbils, and mice (2%)

And finally, Nationwide Insurance released a list of the craziest names for pets. They retrieved them from a database of insured pets

CATS
Obi Wan Catnobi
Winston Purrchill
The Great Catsby
Jabba the Butt
Isaac Mewton
Whiskerus Maximus
Dog the Cat

DOGS
Dunkin Butterbeans
Farrah Pawcett
The Other Dude
Yeti Spaghetti
Colonel Mustache
Cheesebro
Tango Mango

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