Each year, the sun moves into Cancer on June 21 and stays until July 22. This means that right now it’s time to shine the celestial spotlight on the captivating sign of the Crab. Happy Cancer Season, Dogster readers!
Any dog beloved by a Cancerian can be assured of a wonderful home life surrounded by family and friends. That’s because, more than perhaps any other sign, Cancer regards companion animals as family members rather than pets, and family comes first for Crabs. Sublime nurturers, Cancerians are fantastically family-friendly folk who will stop at nothing to lavish TLC on their two- and four-footed loved ones, treating animals with the very same kindness and compassion most other people reserve for human relatives.
In fact, a dog is often a “starter child” for Cancer, who patiently practices parenting on a pup. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is an excellent example. Just a few months after he and his wife, Kate welcomed home a male Cocker Spaniel puppy, he revealed to Katie Couric that he looks forward to becoming a father soon. “I’m just very keen to have a family,” he said. That’s so Cancer! The prince turns 30 this month, but many Crabs become parents in their early 20s. Meanwhile, the name of the royal pup remains shrouded in secrecy, per the couple’s wishes. He says the dog’s name is “a private matter.” Again, that’s so Cancer — Crabs are highly private, with an alluring air of mystery about them.
Once the children do come along, Cancerians don’t shove the dog aside — the canine family member remains in the thick of the action. Even when coping with the demands of raising a toddler, Cancerians already blessed with human children are eager to share their love with “fur kids.” Geraldo Rivera and his wife, Erica, adopted a Golden Retriever puppy from North Shore Animal League America in 2009, when their daughter, Solita Liliana, was just 3. Today, Elvis the dog is a proud and happy member of the Rivera family.
All that privacy makes Cancers sublimely intuitive, sensitive, and empathic. They also happen to be very intelligent, with a gift for scientific inquiry. All of those qualities conspire to make them extra-patient and insightful when it comes to caring for pets and seeing things from an animal’s perspective with respect and compassion.
Consider Rupert Sheldrake. A respected biologist and author, he applied his considerable scientific savvy to the subject of canines in his bestselling book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home. Then there’s Robert J. Harman, the pioneering veterinarian who founded Vet-Stem, the leader in regenerative medicine for companion animals. This remarkable technology extracts a dog’s stem cells from a surgically removed sample of its own fatty tissue; the cells are then re-injected into inflamed, arthritic joints, permitting the dog to move with greater ease. With typical Cancerian compassion, Doc Harman has generously donated Vet-Stem technology to qualified shelter dogs in need.
Cancerians are also the ultimate nesters, so their homes offer canines considerable critter comforts. Crystal Gregory, founder of Modernist Cat in Seattle, has two Italian Greyhounds in addition to the two fabulous felines who inspired her ingenious invention — and her hip home is so swell-looking, it was featured on Apartment Therapy!
Ruled by the Moon, the Cancerian (aka Moonchild) enjoys nighttime walks and/or runs like no other sign, and that’s great news for canine night owls. For safety’s sake on those after-dark outings, Cancers won’t leave the house without reflective canine gear, including collars, leashes, and toys.
A water sign, Cancer appreciates a dog that enjoys being in and around the water, such as the Labrador Retriever. Again, let’s point to the Prince. Before the Cocker Spaniel pup, William had a well-beloved black Lab named Widgeon. But any and all types of dog are appreciated by Cancerians. Celebrity Crab Bill Cosby is a fan of Dandie Dinmont Terriers; the dog he co-owns, Harry, enjoyed a successful career in the show ring, winning Best of Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2007. Mel Brooks, another celebrity Crab, is a longtime fan of the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Cancerians feel a special affinity for underdogs, and will go to bat for shelter animals, singing the praises of adoptable dogs (and cats) for all to hear — as celebrity Crab Cyndi Lauper proves. The spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America’s 2012 “Tour For Life” adoption drive, she proudly encourages her fellow dog lovers to adopt. So does actor Kevin Bacon. “We have no interest in purebreds — we’ve always had mutts,” Bacon says of his family’s philosophy on furry friends.
Think silver whenever gifting your favorite Crab; Moonchildren gravitate to anything silvery, and that includes the silvery art of photography. The Cancerian will be sure to have albums full of dog photographs, with favorite images on display in silver frames.
With so many excellent qualities, is it any wonder the Moonchild is supremely sought-after? If a Cancer is the one you seek to love, know that the signs most compatible with the Crab are Pisces, Scorpio, Taurus, and Virgo. Cancerian Dogster readers — and their friends or lovers — we’d like to hear your words of zodiac wisdom, so please share your personal astro-insights in the comments.
