The National Dog Show will be broadcast on NBC, on (US) Thanksgiving Day, at 12pm Eastern.
US readers: On Thanksgiving Day, do you watch television?
If you do, football only?
The traditional US Thanksgiving feast involves relatives gathering at someone's house--sometimes the oldest family member's house, sometimes the one with the biggest kitchen--and cooking more than they can eat, together, of every vegetable that grows in North America plus turkey.
Historians have questioned whether the first harvest feast celebrated by New England's religious "Pilgrims" and the Wamponaug people who felt sorry for them would have featured turkey. Turkeys had not been domesticated yet; somebody may or may not have managed to snare one. Nevertheless, by the nineteenth century our most edible native bird species was being raised on farms in sufficient quantity that everybody could have one, and Thanksgiving Day became Turkey Day. Now everybody had something to give thanks for. A person who can think of no other reason can at least give thanks that person is not a turkey.
Whether it was purchased frozen from the store or killed the night before, the turkey's body has probably been cleaned and left to soak in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning the stove is heated and the turkey is roasted until done. Meanwhile the vegetables go on and off the stove, in and out of the oven. The kitchen is full of steam and chatter. Maybe some people are told to keep out of the kitchen. Maybe those people have time to watch television. I wouldn't know.
The aroma of roasting turkey usually does, in my experience, generate a dog and cat show. The family's pets, and in a city neighborhood often several neighbors' pets, all line up at the kitchen window, salivating.
Traditionally certain parts of the turkey and vegetables were simmered to make broth. The broth was then thickened with flour and served as gravy, which had the important function of making people feel that they'd eaten more turkey than they had actually eaten and allowed more people to share small pieces of the same turkey. At a smaller gathering the less appealing parts of the turkey can simply be cooked through and given to the dogs and cats. Dogs and cats can also safely be allowed to gnaw on carrot ends, corn cobs, bean pods, pumpkin rinds, and of course pumpkin seeds, and the grain products like rice and bread.
Do dogs and cats give thanks? I've known some who did.
For the first two generations after they were rescued from the alley, my social cat family rubbed their heads against my hands before eating food I set out for them.
Subsequent generations have seemed to feel entitled to regular meals. They've complained if meals were offered late or were unsatisfactory, or if I didn't share food or water with them for more than two days in a row. They still do the head rubbing gesture when given treats they especially like.
Indoor animals often become picky eaters who don't seem thankful for food at all. Usually the reason is easy to see. They are overfed. Their ribs are hard to feel. Humans may use food treats as a reward or a bribe, and after a certain point the animals don't even feel rewarded or bribed any more; they feel stuffed to the point of distress. Some dogs and cats, like some humans, will instinctively stop eating before they feel stuffed or put on surplus fat, and some won't. The humans who live with these overfed animals usually think "The poor things have so little time to live and so few pleasures, let them at least have all the food they want," and then after a certain point what the animals want is less food. If an animal's ribs are not easy to count when you stroke the animal's sides, it may well be that the best treat you could give the animal would be a fast day.
Outdoor animals find it easier to maintain a healthy weight since they are likely to get more exercise. (Some outdoor animals even become underweight on the normal diet for their size range; this is usually a sign of internal parasites that need veterinary attention. With short-haired animals it's easy to see the ribs when the animals are too thin. It can be hard to tell by looking whether a long-haired animal is overweight or underweight.) They are more likely to rub their heads against your hand, or lick your hand, when you give them a treat.
However, an indoor pet who is adequately fed to maintain a healthy body shape will usually have a good appetite and may show gratitude for treats, too.
A cat or dog who makes a gesture of gratitude is watching your reactions. If you show that you're pleased, the gesture of gratitude will be repeated. My experience has been that an animal who is paying this much attention to its humans is not looking for more food as a reward, but is looking for words or touch that show appreciation of the animal and its nice manners.
An animal who pays that much attention to you will probably let you know that it appreciates other things as well as food. Dogs' and cats' desires seem much simpler than ours, but there are lots of things they like--a chance to snuggle against you and enjoy the warmth on a cool day (even if they don't want to be in an overheated house), cool water on a hot day, the right kind of space of its own, a private litter box other animals don't use, the right sort of brush or comb of its own that other animals don't use, a nice walk, a good game, a head scratch or back rub, even hearing you say that you like them. Most cats and dogs don't really care much about toys as such, except perhaps as things to chew and shred, but most of them love any game you play with a toy, making it interesting.
Sometimes it's not so much about the actual food or water as it is about a share of your food or your water. I live in a damp climate. My outdoor cats have a selection of water from springs, streams, rain puddles, and rain collected in food tins. Heat and thirst are not actually problems they have. Many of them reject city water that tastes of chlorine. Nevertheless they've agreed that the first splash from a bottle of distilled water, before I drink it, is a treat because it's something they share with me. In a similar vein, sometimes in autumn when rodents are easy to catch I've looked at the cats' rounded shapes and thought, "They're finding something to eat in addition to their kibble; I can go vegan this week," and the cats have told me in no uncertain terms that they felt rejected--where did their fish ends and chicken skins go? What I eat may be junkfood for them, they may not even want to eat it, but my experience has been that most cats would rather spit out a bean or a peanut as if to say "How can you eat those things?" than simply eat their own scientifically formulated meal and not share mine. Many cats have thanked me for morsels of food they sniffed and did not actually eat. It's the thought that counts, they nonverbally said.
Dogs and cats are not all that different from us. Pay attention, learn to recognize what your pets appreciate, and they will thank you in their own ways.
Here are some cats and dogs who would probably thank you for the blob of fat you cut off your meat, or a splash of your water.
Zipcode 10101: Mystery from NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/mystery-78186948/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/
He's a spring kitten who's been officially homeless since August. He seems to be quiet and mellow for his age, but they still recommend he be adopted as a companion for another young cat. He seems to tolerate more tickling before he uses his teeth and claws than most kittens do.
Well...when our Drudge was six months old he seemed to be quiet and mellow for his age, and his only distinctive feature was that he'd lie still and tolerate having his underside rubbed and tickled, rather than exposing his underside as an invitation to play "Let's pretend your hand is the enemy" as most kittens do. Since then he's shown the ability to hunt, as most tomcats never do. He's shown a tendency to stay at home, as most tomcats don't do. He's shown willingness to baby-sit, defend, share food, share a lap, and even play gently with a small kitten, as most tomcats don't do. I didn't plan to keep Drudge, but he is most definitely a keeper. So who knows what unusual and wonderful qualities Mystery may show as he grows up.
Zipcode 20202: Cece from DC
Her web page: http://petfinder.com/cat/cece-77891468/dc/washington/lailas-legacy-animal-rescue-dc31/
She'd rather play and explore than snuggle, but she's friendly in her way and likes to be close to her human. Close, not touching. She's not reached the sleepy age yet.
Zipcode 30303: Cali from Atlanta
Humane Society. That's all you need to know. Well, it's all you find out from her web page. Nobody's taken the time to write anything about her. She's not been on Petfinder very long so if someone adopts her right away she may be relatively un-traumatized.
Cali. She's a tortie, not a calico! Like that lot pay any attention...worraworraworraworra...
Bonus: Asparagus from Blountville, TN
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/asparagus-79033691/tn/blountville/the-bridge-home-no-kill-animal-rescue-tn95/
He was just a baby when brought to the shelter. He's grown fast. But that face! Have you ever seen such symmetrical markings on a tabby cat? Nor have I. He seems to be a fairly typical spring kitten, but you'll always be able to pick him out in a crowd.
Zipcode 10101: Max from NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/max-78585690/ny/new-york/furry-smiles-international-rescue-ca2510/
International Rescue? He's originally from Canada? Shelter staff don't give out a lot of information about Max but they think he's clever and friendly. Nobody's even willing to guess what his ancestors may have been.
Zipcode 20202: Nesta from Texas via DC
She's described as friendly, affectionate, gentle, quiet, and curious, a dog who could fit in with a big human family or share a quiet flat with a single adult. Those pale eyes, normal in a Husky but rare in a retriever (which is what they think most of her ancestors were), ought to make evildoers cross the street when they see you walking with her. Nesta doesn't seem to have had any chance to show whether she's more of a guard dog or a lap dog. They won't want to find out. But so far her training, such as it's been, seems to have been in the direction of lap dog.
Zipcode 30303: Bocephus from Texas by way of Atlanta
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/bocephus-79304498/ga/atlanta/waiting-under-the-willow-foundation-wuwf-rescue-tx2467/
Some days choosing the best photo at the Atlanta site is easy, even though, when that photo is pasted in among the other winners, I'm sure it makes people think "Why...?" Because a lot of the photos at the Atlanta site were cluttered with computer graphics and trinkets rather than showing a dog as it really is, and many were badly focussed as well. This one was chosen from a half-dozen not very flattering photos of what does seem to be a cute dog.
This one they're sure would like to be a lap dog, "if you let him." He weighs 65 pounds. He has a lot of energy and is recommended to a family with energetic young people. He is thought to be a cross between a Staffordshire Terrier and a Border Collie. He is described as a playful young dog, not yet trained to do a specific job, though likely to benefit from having one. He could easily be too much for a lazy person to handle; that's why he's in a shelter. The adoption fee is $250 if you're willing to meet him in Texas, more if you prefer to pay to have him brought to you.
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