Holiday time means joy, celebration, and togetherness for many families, but what about your pets? Your home is decked-out with festive decorations and filled with friends and relations. All of this is great for humans, but your four-legged friends could be thrown out of whack because of all the changes and additions. You need to prepare your pets and their environments for the holiday changes to ensure they also enjoy this special time while staying safe and stress-free. Here are 10 tips and tricks to prepare your pet and their home for holiday festivities.
Tip 1: Stick to Your Pet’s Routines.
Pets thrive on routine, and changes in their daily schedules can cause stress and anxiety. With all the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, it’s easy to neglect your pet’s regular feeding, exercise, and bedtime routines. Try to maintain their schedule as much as possible. Regular routines provide a sense of security, making your pets feel comfortable and less anxious.
Tip 2: Create a Safe Pet Space.
All of the activity during the holidays – especially in your home – can overwhelm your pets. Designate a quiet, secure space where your pets can retreat when they need a break from the festivities. Let everyone know that this is YOUR pet’s safe space and make sure your pet knows this is their space. This area should include their bedding, toys, and their water bowl. Then they can retreat to that space when they need some peace and quiet.
If your Pets live in a bowl or cage, re-acclimate them to a safe space before the holiday frenzy begins. Make this a quiet and secure place, and up and away from little children.
Tip 3: Avoid Hazardous Decorations.
When you are planning or prepping your holiday décor, think about your pets and their safety. Tinsel, ornaments, and other shiny things are very attractive to most pets. They look tempting to play with and nibble on, and so are electrical cords. Eating any of these ornaments can damage a oets esophagus and cause dangerous intestinal blockages. Chewing on ornaments or cords can result in electrical shocks or injuries. Keep these items out of reach or use pet-friendly alternatives.
Tip 4: Pet-Proof Your Home.
Pet-proofing should be done any time of year, but especially during the holidays when there are mor decorations, presents, and people around. Remove or secure any potential hazards like toxic plants – especially poinsettias – holiday foods like alcohol, nuts, and chocolate, and small objects like ribbons and bows, that pets could swallow.
Tip 5: Introduce and Supervise Your Pet.
When you have visiting family or friends who haven’t spent much time with your pet, introduce them to your pets. Make sure both parties are comfortable with each other, especially children.. Even well-behaved children can get over enthusiastic, so supervise your pets around the new people, again, especially with children. Even if your pet is typically social, the added stress of the holidays can affect their behavior. Be patient and supervise to make sure both your pet and the new arrivals are comfortable with each other.
Tip 6: Provide Your Pet with Plenty of Exercise.
It is easy to forget the routines of your pet with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, especially their daily walks. But they need the routine of the walk – or other exercise – and this exercise can help burn off your pet’s excess energy and alleviate stress. Also, a tired pet is less likely to become anxious or misbehave during gatherings. Plan longer walks, extra playtime, or even visits to a dog park during the holiday season.
Tip 7: Update Your Pet’s Identification.
Losing a pet is traumatic, especially during the holidays. And with more activities and people coming in and out of your home, there’s a higher risk of pets escaping. Ensure that your pet has proper identification, including a collar with tags containing updated contact information and a microchip with your current details. Also, make plans for keeping track of your pet especially when people are coming arriving and leaving. You can enlist the help of family members to keep track of your pet. Most pre-teens would love the responsibility of ‘being in charge’ even for just a few important moments.
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Tip 8: Include Your Pet in Your Travel Plans.
Traveling is hectic, and if you plan to travel with your pet, you need to plan for them just like you would for a child. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies including food, water, medications, leashes, and comfort items like their favorite toys or blankets. You will need to plan extra rest stops and make sur the area is pet friendly. You want your pet to travel safely and arrive rested and stress-free, just like you.
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Tip 9: Make Sure Your Pet Has Their Quiet Time.
If your pet is like ours, they will leave the festivities and seek their quiet spot if they have had enough of the activity. If not, when you are hosting gatherings or parties, make sure your pet has a quiet space and they know where it is. Show them this space several times before the activities so they know where and what it is. Make sure it is free from loud music, people, fireworks, or other disturbances, and has water and their favorite toys to comfort them.
Tip 10: Prepare Some Pet-Friendly Treats.
Normally there are kinds of tempting food and treats during the holidays, and most pets will want to try them out. A lot of holiday foods are bad for pets, so create some treats just for them. When you are baking for your get-togethers, bake some healthy treats for your pet. Then, offer your pets these special holiday pet treats. You could also buy some holiday-themed, pet-safe chew toys to make your pet feel part of the festivities.
Your pets are part of your family, so, like your family, you need to make certain preparations to ensure that your pet can also have a happy and safe holiday season. Follow these tips but remember that each pet is unique, so pay attention to their behavior and needs and make the necessary adjustments for their health and well-being.
