Rat
2008 · 2020
Finds every crumb, and the one hiding spot you thought was safe.
a Year of the Dog cat is a real thing
Chinese zodiac for pets: your cat or dog's year animal and element
In the Chinese zodiac, every year has an animal and one of five elements, and the year turns at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. Put in your pet's birthday to find theirs. It is all just for fun.
wood, then water
Pepper's little rolesexample pet
The twelve animals, as pets
One playful line each. No animal is better than another, and none of this predicts anything.
Ox
2009 · 2021
Same walk, same bowl, same time. Change is for other pets.
Tiger
2010 · 2022
Hunts the hallway at 3 a.m. Brave, loud, a little ridiculous.
Rabbit
2011 · 2023
Gentle, tidy, and gone under the bed when the doorbell rings.
Dragon
2000 · 2012 · 2024
Enters every room as if the room should be grateful.
Snake
2001 · 2013 · 2025
Watches quietly from the warm spot. Knows more than they let on.
Horse
2002 · 2014 · 2026
Hears the word walk from two rooms away and is already at the door.
Goat
2003 · 2015 · 2027
Soft-hearted, a little dramatic, needs a cushion for every mood.
Monkey
2004 · 2016
Opened the treat drawer once. Has been working on the fridge since.
Rooster
2005 · 2017
The household alarm clock, with opinions about everyone’s schedule.
Dog
2006 · 2018
Loyal to the bone, keeps the house safe from every delivery person.
Pig
2007 · 2019
Generous with cuddles, serious about dinner, asleep in thirty seconds.
The five elements
Each year also carries an element, two years in a row: wood, fire, earth, metal, water, then round again. In the old calendar they describe kinds of energy, so for a pet they are a fun way to picture character.
- Wood: the explorer, always finding a new corner.
- Fire: the greeter, the bright moment of a hello.
- Earth: the settler, one favourite blanket, always the same one.
- Metal: the noticer, every small sound, every small change.
- Water: the rester, long afternoons that soften the house.
How we count it
A pet born before Lunar New Year belongs to the year before: a cat born on January 20, 2024 is a Water Rabbit, while one born on February 20, 2024 is a Wood Dragon. We use the same calendar that writes our birthday story books.
A kismetPaws birthday story reads the birthday through the traditional Chinese calendar too, and comes with five little roles drawn as your pet, one for each of the five elements.
Their birthday, their own story book
A book about the day they were born, a little film, a tale and sixteen stickers, from one photo. $34.99 per pet.
Questions people ask
Is the Chinese zodiac serious?
Not here. This page is just for fun, and so are the five elements in our story books. No animal or element makes a pet better or worse.
Why is my January pet the year before?
The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20. A pet born before it belongs to the previous year's animal.
Does a pet only have one element?
The year gives one. A kismetPaws birthday story gives every pet all five, as five little roles.
We don't know their exact birthday
For the zodiac, the year is enough unless they were born in January or February. A story book can also start from the day they came home, or the day you met.