Celebrated in May in the United States and in April in the United Kingdom, National Pet Month is an opportunity for us all to share even more love than usual for our animal companions! According to the CDC there are many benefits to owning a pet. Regularly playing with our pets can decrease blood pressure, pets can help manage loneliness and depression, and they increase our opportunity to get outside and get exercise through regular walks (and speaking as someone who takes her cat on walks courtesy of a backpack, those walks are not limited to dogs!).

Several months ago I shared the story of how my spouse and I accidentally named our male cat Juno after the Roman Goddess. Juno is one of three cats we currently own, although in our decade together we’ve had four others who have since crossed the rainbow bridge. The old man of our house right now is Linus, a dapper 16-year-old tuxedo I’ve had since he was two, pictured here with his BFF Zoey. Because of my long-standing love for Snoopy, most people assume he is named for the character from the Peanuts gang. But he is, in fact, named for the character of Benjamin Linus from the television show LOST.

Finn (the fluffy one) is 5 and Blanche is 3. Finn is named after Huckleberry Finn according to his mother and Adventure Time according to his father and Blanche is a Golden Girl through and through. They love hanging out amongst the books and are currently reading up on birds to learn their weaknesses.

Kristin, Digital Content Librarian

This is Mowgli. His exact age and whether he’s named after The Jungle Book character are both mysteries. His favorite pastimes include pretending he wasn’t just on the kitchen counter, manipulating his humans into doling out more treats, and making his mom fall asleep while she’s reading by curling up behind her knees.

Tiffany, Product Liaison 

Duff died recently, but when it rains, I remember this picture. We came home from a drizzly walk and she clearly didn’t want to go inside. She sat down and I gave her my umbrella. Of course, that meant a photo opp.

Debbie, Account Executive

 

 

The orange is Toast Malone-simply because my teen/tween LOVES Post Malone and Toast so they thought it was hilarious to combine the two.

The other tabby is Mini Moose. His story is kinda sweet. He was found in an alley in Columbus by a friend’s cat who dragged him home. Our friends took him in, got him care and then gave him to us. He looked just like their cat, Moose, so they named him Mini Moose.

Dawn, Digital Content Librarian

 

 

Chicken Nuggets is an Abyssinian cat from Hawaii. She came into my life when her previous family moved back to the island and couldn’t take her. Their toddlers used to feed her chicken nuggets, and while she no longer gets to eat them she continues to look like one.

Yanni is a big sweet tuxedo cat with separation anxiety and hyperthyroidism. He’s my favorite combination of infantile and geriatric, and is named after the Greek mustachioed classical new age composer Yanni.

Holly, Account Manager

 

About the author: Jill Grunenwald is a Marketing & Communications Specialist on the North America Public Library Marketing Team. A former librarian, she joined OverDrive in 2015. Outside of the office she can be found writing, hanging out with her cats, collecting more Tarot decks than she has room for, and playing competitive pinball. Her favorite genre is something she calls “Murder at an educational institution that involves a close-knit group of suspicious characters.”