I cannot even begin to describe how happy the Ottawa Pet Expo made me. Even if there had been no vendors and no events I still would have had a fantastic time. That’s because… THERE WERE CUTE ANIMALS EVERYWHERE! I got so many cold, wet noses pressed against my hands as I walked through the EY Centre and even more snuggles when I stopped to say “hi” to a new furry friend. There were cats and dogs everywhere! A pet lovers dream. But there were other animals there besides dogs and cats. There were booths at the expo that featured ponies and macaws, and there were pet owners walking around with rabbits, ferrets, and even reptiles. This was a really fantastic event for pets and pet lovers alike.
The EY Centre was perfect for this event not only in terms of space, but the concrete floors in the main halls were perfect for an event that was at risk of getting… messy. Yup, there were definitely a few accidents here and there but they were all dealt with quickly so it was never really an issue. This was also the perfect environment for the indoor swimming pool. Yes, a pool. The Rideau River Dock Dogs Diving Pool, to be exact. I’m not entirely sure whether or not there was some sort of contest associated with it, but this was a cute event that was fun to watch. Dog after dog, under the guidance of their owners, jumped for and chased after toys that had been tossed in the pool. It was such a simple event, but so much fun to watch.
Another area of the expo that I really enjoyed was the Ottawa Valley Cat Club Cat Zone. There were more dogs than cats brought to the Pet Expo, but the Cat Zone was a strictly cats-only area that featured a bake sale, craft sale, silent auction, cat-care seminars, and – of course – cute kitties! There was an area where you could visit a couple of hairless cats from The Hairless Cat Company, and there was another section of adorable kittens of various other breeds who were available for adoption. There were two in particular I easily could have walked away with if I was in a position to bring home new pets.
This was also a great expo to do a bit of shopping and I, for one, did not go home empty handed. My boyfriend bought some new toys for his cats from a couple of different vendors, including one of the booths at the Cat Zone (the cats played with the toys all night so that was clearly money well spent). He and I also picked out some cute pet themed fridge magnets from Brainy Bird Creations, and I got some beautiful bee themed jewellery from Shameless Envy who donates 25% of the proceeds from the sale of her bee jewellery to the Ontario’s Beekeeper Association. Speaking of bees, I also bought some absolutely delicious honey from Bee Savvy. They were selling a sampler trio with honeys infused with vanilla, cinnamon, and hot peppers (I had some of the vanilla honey and cinnamon honey on toast while writing this and they were absolutely delicious – the people running the booth at the expo said the hot pepper honey is good on chicken so I’ll definitely have to try that). There were so many fabulous vendors and booths that there was really something for everyone there.
While I was writing this, one of my boyfriend’s cats – Max – was sitting on my lap, trying to get me to focus on what’s really important here: him. I have always had a pet of some sort for most of my life; I love pets and I cannot imagine life without them. And I am sure all other pet parents at the expo this weekend feel the same. This was a fun event for both humans and pets and it was fantastic to be around so many people who love their pets as much as I do. Thank you so much to everyone who let me pet and snuggle their precious fur babies!
