It’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us, but before we know it, we’ll be gearing up to celebrate the start of a new year. Before you get too entrenched in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take some time to plan out your December social media calendar. These holidays and themes are bound to garner serious pet owner engagement:

The Cat’s Meow

While there are not as many pet holidays spanning the entire month as other times throughout the year, December is National Cat Lover’s Month. Take advantage of the holiday by planning a few different social posts dedicated to our feline friends that span the month. Schedule a weekly post asking pet owners to share photos of their cats. You can use a different theme each week—like cats caught in the act (of being naughty), or strike a pose to show off those camera-loving kitties. You can also share some interesting facts about the feline species, and create a video demonstrating how to brush a cat’s teeth at home.

Notable Pet Holidays

In addition to the holidays, there are many notable pet-focused holidays in the month of December. You can highlight any or all of these days to get some inspiration for your social calendar. They include:

• December 2 | National Mutt Day: In between your homage to felines, don’t forget to celebrate national mutt day. This presents another great opportunity to ask your followers to share photos (and engage with your posts).
• December 3 | Giving Tuesday: Lead the charge by organizing some kind of charitable event for your hospital. Invite your clients and ask them to share the information on social media to get a bigger reach.
• December 4 | World Wildlife Conservation Day: This holiday presents the ideal opportunity to share some educational information with your clients. You can create an infographic, link to another notable article, or share some great conservation profiles. Sharing information inspires pet owners to get involved in important causes like wildlife conservation.
• December 5 | Celebrate Shelter Pets Day: Shelter pets have brought so much joy to so many people. Take a moment for you and your clients to celebrate them with a few social media posts about the benefits of adopting. You can write a blog that you share on your profiles, create a picture collage of the shelter animals in your practice, or share photos of pets waiting to be adopted at local shelters.
• December 9 | International Day of Veterinary Medicine: Teach pet owners about the many facets of veterinary medicine in honor of its international holiday on December 9. Share some behind-the-scenes action to give your followers a better understanding of an average day at the hospital. 
• December 13 | National Day of the Horse: Even if you only see cats and dogs in your practice, it’s always fun to include other species on your social media pages. Think about devoting a post to horses on December 13 for a fun and different bit of holiday content.

Holiday Celebrations

December is an easy month to celebrate because it comes with so many social media-worthy holidays. Take advantage of these holidays by creating a detailed content calendar that highlights each of them. Share pet-friendly recipes, create photo contests, and ask pet owners to share some of their favorite holiday traditions that include their pets. These notable days are:

• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 25-January 3: Hanukkah
• December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa 

If you need some help with your social media calendar planning, paid advertising, or your website needs an upgrade, Beyond Indigo Pets is here for you. Our veterinary digital marketing experts do the work so you don’t have to. Call (877) 244-9322 to find out what we can do for your marketing.