Choosing a design
Pick the design whose animals look most like the guest of honor. The party pups card has a samoyed, a whippet, a doodle and a Bernese peeking over a ledge; the pack card has seven dogs from a St. Bernard to a dachshund; the cat card has six cats lounging among balloons.
For a dog party at a park, the pack design tells guests straight away that dogs are invited. For a cat's birthday, which is usually a small get-together of people at home, the cat design sets a gentler tone.
Is the birthday for a rabbit, a horse or a particular breed? Describe your pet and AI designs a card for it. Previews are free, and keeping one costs the same as a ready-made design.
What to put on a pet birthday invitation
- Your pet's name, and the age they're turning or the years since their gotcha day
- The date, with a start and an end time; an hour or two is plenty for most dogs
- The place: a backyard, a dog park, or a pet-friendly café or patio
- How to RSVP, and the date you need replies by
- Whether dogs are invited or the party is for people only
- Any house rules for dog guests, like leashes, up-to-date vaccinations or friendly dogs only
The card holds a headline, a short message, the date and time, the location and an RSVP line. Longer notes, like where to park or a request to bring a donation for a local shelter instead of a gift, fit better in the text or email you send the card with.
Hosting a party with dogs
Keep the guest list small. A handful of dogs who already know each other makes for a calmer party than a crowd of strangers, and a fenced yard or a fenced section of a park keeps everyone in one place.
Set out water bowls and some shade, and plan for the cooler part of the day in summer. If there's a cake, make it a dog-safe one: no chocolate, grapes, raisins or the sweetener xylitol.
Ask guests to tell you ahead of time if their dog is nervous around other dogs. For a cat's birthday, a people-only party is kinder: most cats would rather watch from another room.
When to send it
Two to three weeks ahead is plenty for a pet birthday. If you need to reserve a park pavilion or a patio, book that first and send the invitation once the place is confirmed.
Ask for replies about a week before, so you know how many dogs to expect and how many treats to buy.
Print it or send it
Every card comes as a print-ready 5×7 PDF and a high-resolution JPG. Most pet parties are invited by text, so the JPG is usually all you need, and a printed card makes a sweet keepsake to frame afterwards.
Turn on the free RSVP page and guests reply online with how many people they're bringing. It doesn't ask about dogs, so ask that in the message you send with the card.