Plus 002:

The Gratitude Experience

Palms & Paws
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See

Nature, Light, and the Art of Gratitude

Thanks to our dear friend, Louie Schwartzberg, we invite you and your furry family to witness gratitude in Moving Art.

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Hear

Pawdcast: Sound Bites of Gratitude

Dr. Kevin shares essential tips to navigate holiday treats… Plus hear the story of George and fall in love.

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Smell

The Scent of Gratitude (and Home)

This month, try a fun Treat Treasure Hunt! Sometimes love really is through the… nose.

Smell more

Taste

Charlie’s Pet-Safe Harvest Stuffing

This month’s recipe is a vegetarian, organic dish made for both cats and dogs. Yummmmm…

Taste more

Touch

A Gratitude Ritual

When we slow down, touch becomes its own expression of gratitude. This bonding ritual is for both humans and animals. You’ll love it!

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6th Sense

Scorpios pet-o-scope

Happy birthday, Scorpios! See what the stars hold in store for our dogs and cats this month…

Sense more

Ask Tux...

Reflections from the Chief Feline Officer

Our favorite feline philosopher has profound A’s to your pets’ Q’s.

Ask more

See

Nature, Light, and the Art of Gratitude

Palms & Paws Community

This month, we invite you to see gratitude in motion.

Grateful to our dear friends at Protect What We Love for their generous media donation and for bringing communities together worldwide to protect our planet, our pets, and each other through uplifting and inspiring media.

Visionary filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg has traveled the corners of this globe to bring us a breathtaking short film — a moving meditation on light, nature, and wonder. [Notable fun fact: No AI, no filters… Louie is the real deal, folks!]

Fill up your screen and watch together with your pet.

Notice how they respond — a tilt of the head, a slow blink, a tail thump in rhythm with the world’s heartbeat.

It’s a shared reminder that gratitude begins with paying attention. 

film credit: Louie Schwartzberg, creator of Moving Art,
and founder of Protect What We Love

 

We’re also celebrating YOU — our Palms & Paws+ community.

Your photos, your smiles, your daily rituals of love. Look at these amazing members of our PLUS community! Thank you to all who have submitted pet selfies already. Keep ‘em coming!

📸 Want to be in the December edition of PLUS? Send us your SELFIE — a shared moment of calm, joy, or cozy togetherness — to be featured with love!

This space grows richer because of the connections we all share.

Click on each image to view full size

Submit your pet selfie to be featured next month!

Submit Your Pet Selfie

Hear

The PAWDCAST:
Sound Bites of Gratitude

(Literally!)

Listen together, and discover how gratitude sounds when love has a voice.

This month’s Pawdcast with Dr. Kevin and Greta Rose is a heartwarming conversation about gratitude, love, and balance — with practical tips for enjoying the holidays without overdoing it on treats.

You’ll hear the rescue story of George, a dog with the odds stacked against him who won the hearts of … well, everybody, as told by an integral member of our team, Nyasha Ezekiel.

 

Palms & Paws+ PAWDCAST - Ep. 002 (running time: 14 mins)

And because every bark, meow, and trill tells a story — here’s what science reveals about how our pets speak gratitude:

Dogs: A bark isn’t just a bark. Higher-pitched barks often signal excitement or play, while lower ones say “protect” or “pay attention.” A few short bursts with a loose tail wag? That’s pure joy — your dog saying, “I’m grateful you’re here.”

Cats: Cats meow mostly for humans. Every sound is custom — from the soft chirp that greets you in the morning to the long, drawn-out meow that means, “Come with me.” That delicate trill? It’s their way of saying, “I missed you.”

Smell

The Scent of Gratitude (and Home)

Our pets experience the world first through their noses — the invisible thread that connects memory, comfort, and safety.

This month, try a Treat Treasure Hunt — hide small rewards around the house and let your pet follow their nose. It’s a joyful game that builds confidence and connection.

The best part? When they find a treat, shower them with love, positive affirmations, encouragement. Smiles, tail thumps, and deep purrs all around.

Fun Facts:

Dogs can recognize their human’s scent even after years apart. That’s why home smells like love.

Cats identify you by scent more than sight — your smell means safety.

Nose Care Tips:

  • Hydration keeps noses cool and moist — a key part of scent detection.
  • A dry or cracked nose can signal dehydration or stress. Offer water, cuddles, and calm.
  • Because the nose is getting licked constantly, we want anything we may place on our dogs’ noses to be non-toxic and safe to ingest! Look for gentle all-natural balms with a beeswax or shea butter base, and avoid ones with essential oils, camphor which can be toxic or irritating.
  • Avoid artificial sprays or scented candles. Natural is always best.

Did You Know?
Catnip triggers the same brain receptors as happiness. For dogs, lavender and chamomile can have soothing effects — nature’s way of saying, “Relax. You’re safe.”

Dog noseDog nose

Taste

Charlie's Pet-Safe Harvest Stuffing

Gratitude tastes like sharing.

This month’s recipe is Charlie’s Harvest Stuffing — a vegetarian, organic dish made for both cats and dogs.

Click here to download your Palms & Paws + recipe and fill your home with deliciousness!

Charlie’s Harvest Stuffing (for Cats & Dogs)
 Ingredients:

 1 cup organic pumpkin purée
 ½ cup finely chopped organic carrots
 ½ cup cooked organic quinoa
 ¼ cup organic peas
 1 tablespoon organic olive oil
 1 cage-free organic egg (or flax egg for protein sensitive pets)
 Optional: cubes of organic sourdough bread

Consult your veterinarian if your pet has food sensitivities or allergies.

Instructions:

  1. Ask your human to preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine all ingredients
  3. Spread into a small baking dish or muffin tin.
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.
  5. Cool completely before serving.

Serving tip: A tablespoon or two is perfect for most pets — treats should make up no more than 10% of their daily diet.

Serve lukewarm and enjoy the moment together.

Touch

A Gratitude Ritual

When we slow down enough to feel it, touch becomes its own expression of gratitude.

Try this simple nightly ritual:

  1. Sit quietly with your pet in a calm space.
  2. Place one hand gently over their chest.
  3. Close your eyes and breathe together — slow, even breaths.
  4. Match your rhythm to theirs.
  5. Stay here for 60 seconds, or until stillness settles in.

     

This shared breathing releases oxytocin, the “bonding hormone,” in both humans and animals. It slows heart rates, lowers stress, and builds trust.

If your pet prefers not to be touched on the chest, try the shoulders or along the back. With time and consistency, this ritual becomes a sacred pause — a moment of peace and connection you both can rely on.

Click here to download your Palms & Paws + Gratitude Ritual.

6th Sense

Mystic Musings

The Pet-story of Gratitude

Throughout history, animals have been our guides in gratitude.

In ancient Egypt, cats were considered sacred — symbols of grace and protection, often depicted beside the goddess Bastet, who represented joy and home.

In Norse myth, two wolves named Geri and Freki stood beside Odin — embodiments of loyalty and courage.

Even today, dogs and cats remind us daily that gratitude isn’t a thought — it’s a way of being.

Cat ears

Happy Birthday!

Here’s Your Monthly Pet-o-Scope
Scorpio (Oct 23–Nov 21)

Scorpios, you are known for your intense passion, loyalty, and determination, often displaying a mysterious and magnetic presence. Always observing… Your love is worth earning.

Click here to download your very own Palms & Paws + Pet-o-scope. Collect one each month to create a full deck of magic. Opposable thumbs helpful to cut along the edges (and to color in).

 

Palms & Paws PLUS pet-o-scope for Scorpio

Ask Tux

Reflections from the Chief Feline Officer

Tux, Chief Feline Officer, Palms & Paws

Our favorite feline philosopher has profound A’s to your pets’ Q’s. To all the dogs, cats, puppies and kittens reading this, feel free to submit your questions for Tux to answer below.

Q: My humans keep saying “thank you” for everything. (Shadow the Cat)
Tux: Let them. Gratitude is just purring with worse rhythm.

Q: The house smells like turkey. Should I investigate? (Whiskers the Cat)
Tux: Proceed with caution. TBH – gratitude is best served in naps, not leftovers.

Q: Guests keep dropping food. Is this my moment? (Milo the Dog)
Tux: It’s always your moment, Milo. Own it. Hold your head up, dog, and own it.

Q: What are you thankful for, Tux? (Poppy the Kitten)
Tux: Sunbeams. Silence. And dogs who make me look enlightened.

Ask Tux Your Q

Pet Puzzle

The Great Gratitude Word Scramble

Unscramble these pet-inspired words of thanks!
(Hint: Each one is something to be grateful for.)

VLOE
RTASET
RUF
RPRU
ADGTTUEIR

Answer key below… but no peeking.

 

Until next month...

You’ve just completed The Gratitude Experience.

You listened. You laughed. You breathed together. You remembered that love — pure, simple, and unconditional — is the heartbeat of this community.

Every subscription helps us give back. Every story shared multiplies the joy.

From our hearts to yours — thank you for being part of this growing family where people and pets flourish together.

With gratitude and love,
Charlie & Tux
and the entire Palms & Paws Pawsse

Please share this with someone who loves pets as much as you do!

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Palms & Paws, LLC

Remember, every month we’ll donate 5% of your subscription to Palms & Paws Foundation, to help serve pets locally, nationally and globally.

We’re over 20% of the way to reaching our first goal of donating $5,000 to our neighbor, the Santa Monica Animal Shelter. Thank you!

PET PUZZLE ANSWERS:
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