National Love Your Pet Day celebrates what should be an ordinary, everyday feeling: loving your pet!

Take time today to appreciate your pet by giving your dog an extra long walk or spoiling your cat with treats. Pets aren’t just limited to furry friends, but also include fish, birds, rats, snakes and other reptiles.

People tend to feel closer to their pet than to their parents. 94 percent of dog owners and 84 percent of cat owners would describe their relationship with their pet as close, according to the Pew Research Center,. This isn’t as high compared to 87 percent reporting they feel close to their mother and 74 percent saying they feel close to their father.

Owning a pet can have surprising health benefits. Dogs encourage owners to improve their physical health by going for walks, and having a caring pet can boost your mental health.

Pets are instant conversations starters, and can save you from awkward conversations at a party or on a first date.

For the pets that do so much for us, let’s take today to celebrate them. Snap a photo of your goofy, lovable pet and post to social media with the #NationalLoveYourPetDay tag.