Without those paw swats and head bonks at 4 AM, you’d never catch a morning meeting on time.

Their incessant barking has so far saved you from at least 20 mailmen, 13 UPS drivers, 1 sketchy-looking plastic bag, and 3 girl scouts.

If they could read text messages, you’d be thumb tapping on your phone like a 13-year-old. 24/7!

You’d cancel evening plans because you haven’t spent enough time giving them belly rubs and chin scratches.

Yes, human. You have a buddy for life and it’s that furry little guy or girl staring at you right now as you read our blog.

Of course, pets are companions. But when it comes to men, pets really are their true buddies. They may invite the whole gang at home for game nights, but secretly all they wanna do is order pizza, grab a few beers and have their pets snuggling with them on the couch until their team wins! Pet dads can “baby talk” better than most girls. They will hike, run, swim, play, Netflix, or sunbathe on the patio with their pets, every chance they get.

How is a man’s friendship with his pets so different from a woman’s? What makes it funny and cute, all at once? We reached out to 4 NHV pet dads to hear their friendship tales and we found some really interesting insights. If you’re a man reading this, congratulations, you are not the only one whose life revolves around his pets. And if you’re a woman reading this, then don’t count your ‘awwws’ because there are going to be so many.

Harold – Veteran, doting cat dad and rescuer

Harold has modified his backyard to make it a ‘catico’ where his 6 cats play games, chase squirrels, and watch the birds. When he can’t be outside with them, he opens the drapes and blinds to let his cats enjoy the ‘Cat TV’ when he is away at work.

Each of his cats has their own little ritual with him. Captiva slips into his linen closet and he leaves it sightly open to let her enjoy those trips and come out when done. Sierra brings him stuffed animals every night and pats his head until he says she’s a good girl. Skittles will bring him bouncing balls so that she can chase them and bat them around. ‘I am really looking forward to the time change in March. That way we will have lots of daylight when I get home from work to enjoy the catico, from playing with the toys to spreading catnip on the catico condos, to chasing them around.’

When asked how cat moms and cat dads are different, he pointed out something really interesting. ‘I’m probably a lot more tolerant of the cats being on the tables, counters, etc.. and most guys don’t worry about cat hair everywhere. or getting into the warm basket of clothes just out of the dryer.’

Harold also looks after 6 community cats at work. He loves sitting out on the catico reading, watching videos, or just playing with the cats. ‘It’s my oasis from the world’, he says.

You can follow the lives of these cats and their loving cat dad on Twitter – @skittlesfriends

Yangkyu – dog lover with a soft corner for senior cocker spaniels

Yangkyu and his wife, Jane, adopted their dog Lady at 14 years old. When their first dog, Piri, passed away at 17 years, Jane had only been wanting to bring home senior dogs and Yangkyu supports his wife’s decision. Jane runs a dog sitting place and Yangkyu is always greeted by all the doggie guests when he comes home from work.

“Jane has her own special things she has with the dogs and I do as well. For one, I like to always hug them and bury my head in their chest and just keep it there for a few seconds. It’s a comforting hug. A knowing hug. The kind of hug that gives you the extra push when things get a little tough or just gives you that extra comfort, even when things are going well.”

Unlike what most of us think, pet dads don’t always want to go on wild adventures

Unlike what most of us think, pet dads don’t always want to go on wild adventures. Some even enjoy the little moments that sharing a life with a dog brings.  Lady likes to bark at the airplanes and chase after them. Yangkyu points them out to her.

Their dogs, Piri and Bartles, have crossed the rainbow bridge and every day is a reminder. But Yangkyu tries to make Jane smile by coming up with mysterious stories about how Piri and Bartles are still there as doggie angels and probably up to some mischief. How they are now instructing Lady to look after Jane and Yangkyu (and sometimes trouble them by playing jokes on them), while they watch over from the rainbow bridge. Guess men have their own way of coping with the loss of their furry little ones. Deep inside they may be hurt, but they have to try to keep their partners cheerful.

His dog might be 14 but Yangkyu has an exciting spring planned for her. He is looking forward to taking Lady cherry blossom viewing, on short road trips, to farmers markets and new walking trails.

You can follow Lady on her adventures with Yangkyu and Jane on her Instagram account > @ohmyfairladyyoo

Jesse – smitten by a scrawny little kitty and brought her home

Jesse saw a weak little kitty at an adoption event with a broken tail, burnt whiskers, and no front claws. He immediately got his wife to look at this little kitty and they brought her home.

On the first night itself, the kitty cuddled with them and slept on their bed. Jesse and Zafrina both fell in love with Kitty Mojito instantly but they share very different relationships with her.

Jesse’s relationship with Kitty Mojito is far more playful. He’s taught her to play hide and seek. They wrestle, play fight and fetch. They also have a game called ‘find the treat’. Kitty Mojito responds to his hand signals when he directs her to go find the treats.

With Jesse, Kitty Mojito is sort of a ‘cat/dog/human hybrid’! Only he plays fight with her and teaches her new tricks, not his wife. He’s also the only one who is ‘allowed’ to give her a bath. Come spring Jesse will take her on more walks. ‘She is quite good at keeping pace with me on her leash’. Wow! That really is a dad-daughter/cat/dog kind of a relationship. 🙂

You can follow this unique kitty on her Instagram account > @kittymojito

Jerry – Human dad to ‘the girls’ – a playful Mitsi and a partially blind Molly

When we asked this research specialist what makes his dogs special, he said, ‘we come home and they don’t judge, they’re all love!’

His wife Rebecca lost her precious dog, Bruno to lymphoma. But Jerry’s dogs, Molly and now Mitsi, are trying to fill the void. They share a warm relationship with Rebecca, but with Jerry, they are always looking at playing games and learning new tricks.

‘I taught Molly how to high-five since she was a puppy. When we adopted Mitsi, I also began teaching her but she’s bilingual 🙂 She will usually respond to “manita” instead of high five.’ Mitsi loves chasing after the tennis balls. Molly is partially blind and she loves her squeaky toy.

Jerry and Rebecca can’t wait for spring. Mitsi gets very excited to be outdoors and to do all the activities she didn’t get a chance to do in the past. Jerry doesn’t let Molly miss out on any of the fun either. He loves sports and Molly is always dressed up in his team’s jersey to cheer him on! Jerry’s ‘girls’ are truly his buddies, always up for fun and adventures and the perfect gang to watch the game with!

You can follow this dog dad and sports enthusiast on his Instagram account > @jcabz

We had such fun writing this blog. These are all men who love their pets and have also opened their minds to holistic ways of keeping them healthy. Their pets are always a part of the madness that’s life. They feel responsible for providing them the right nutrition, lots of entertainment, putting up with their silly antics, and most of all, for helping them live longer and healthier, naturally.

Here’s to these scoring pairs. These are perfect one-two combos. Unstoppable on all courts.

Always a part of the madness. Aren’t you two buddies for life?

Yours in wellness,

Team NHV Natural Pet Products

We love your pets naturally.

Talk to an NHV Pet Expert to find a suitable supplement or remedy to help your best friend live a healthier life and keep up with the fun you have planned together