Valentine's Day and your pet
According to a recent national survey by Purina, more than 60 percent of those pet owners' queried plan to include their pets in some way in their Valentine's celebrations. Interestingly, almost half of the men surveyed said they would prefer to spend the holiday just with their pets, reasoning that their pet lowers their stress. Most women opted for companionship, although one-third of the females surveyed did feel their pets were more in tune with their feelings than anyone else.

While you're pondering the perfect way to romance your partner, whether with a candle-lit dinner, champagne, flowers, chocolate or jewelry and thinking of ways to express your special affection for your pet, it might be interesting to take a look at why this day in the middle of February is earmarked for romance.

The origins of this holiday are ancient and intertwined with fanciful legends. In early Rome, a fertility rite, Lupercalia, was celebrated annually on February 15. Around 490, Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day.

Exactly which St. Valentine the Pope honored becomes confusing because there were numerous early Christian St. Valentines known at that time, although three were believed to have been martyred on February 14. The most commonly accepted honoree is a priest in the time of Claudius II, around the year 270.

According to one legend, Claudius ordered Roman men to remain single in order to grow his army, believing that married men did not make good soldiers. So Valentine, the priest, performed marriage ceremonies in secret. When discovered, Claudius had the priest arrested and put into jail. In another version, Claudius tried to get Valentine to convert to Roman paganism to save his life. Valentine refused and instead tried to convert Claudius to Christianity, which led to his death sentence. In either case, before the

priest was executed, he reportedly performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer, then left behind a note for her that read "From your Valentine."

Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with linking love to this holiday with his poem, written in 1381, honoring the first anniversary of the engagement of Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. In the poetic tradition of the time, Chaucer connected the occasion to a feast day, choosing St. Valentine's Day, "when every fowl cometh there to choose his mate."

In England, by the 18th century, gift giving and exchanging handmade cards were commonplace. It wasn't until 1850 that Esther A. Howland, a Mt. Holyoke graduate and native of Worcester, Massachusetts, took inspiration from an English valentine she had received and began mass-producing valentines of embossed paper and lace in this country. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year are valentines.

Until 1969, the Catholic Church formally recognized eleven St. Valentine's Days. When it revised its liturgical calendar, saints with questionable historical origins were removed and St. Valentine was omitted. Now we celebrate plain old Valentine's Day.

But it doesn't have to be plain. You can send fanciful e-cards customized with your very own dog or cat. Purina's unique e-card technology called DOGGIEMAIL and KITTIE-MAIL is accessed through www.petcentric.com to create a personalized puppylove or kitty-love card for that special someone. For every card sent before Valentine's Day, Purina will donate 50 cents to help homeless animals across the country.

Concerning the other traditional trappings of this holiday, exercise caution. Chocolate can be extremely toxic to both dogs and cats. Our pets are much smaller than we are, so they metabolize substances differently. Alcohol , even in small amounts can be dangerous. Some flowers are potentially hazardous, including certain lilies that are highly toxic to cats. Other plants that often appear in mixed bouquets such as tulips, daisies, chrysanthemums and baby's breath can be dangerous as well.

Receiving jewelry is fabulous, but curious pets can be attracted to sparkling gems, so put the gift on or put it safely away. Balloons, cellophane, ribbons and other wrapping items are not good for your pets to play with or sample.

The gift of a pet toy or treat will be enthusiastically received, but for an extra special loving touch on Valentine's Day, your time with your pet is a precious gift indeed. Take your dog for a long walk, or make room for some one-on-one time with a gentle brushing, massage or bath for your pet. And for that ultimate gift of love, visit your local animal shelter, or go to www.petfinder.com and open your heart and home to a

homeless animal. Have a Happy Valentine's Day! I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and two cats. At the shop are cats Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Millie guinea pig and two budgies. Send e-mail to jan@geronimos.com.