Keeping Your Pets Calm During The Holidays

The holidays are a wonderful time of year filled with delicious food, beautiful decorations, and quality time with our loved ones. Holidays are also often filled with additional stress as we prepare our house for company, shop for gifts and cook up a storm. Stress isn’t just relegated to us humans; our pets also feel the strain around this time of year. The influx of strangers and deviations from their normal routine can cause our furry friends to suffer from holiday anxiety and can lead to behavioral issues during the holidays.

While there are many ways our furry friends express their anxiety, below are the most common behaviors to be on the lookout for:

• Aggression
• Pacing
• Cowering
• Vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Diarrhea
• Excessive barking
• Changes in disposition
• Clinginess
• Attempts to escape

Typically, pets with little training or socialization encounter the most holiday anxiety.

There are many ways you can help reduce the holiday anxiety of your furry friend. If your home is host to an array of holiday parties, be sure to start small so your pet can get used to the idea of additional people in their home.

Remember that calming pets is not a “one size fits all” issue. Some animals will react very favorably to certain remedies, while others will react poorly. Patience will be your strongest weapon as pets adjust to, and learn to trust, their new environment. Never give up on your furry companion because problems can certainly be  resolved with some patience, ingenuity, and hard work.

Socialize

The most valuable thing you can do is socialize your pets to other people, places, and things. This will result in a balanced dog and cat. Be sure your vaccinations are up to date before taking your pets out, but always try to expose them to new things. A socialized dog is a balanced dog, and the same is said for cats.

Create A Safe, Quiet Zone For Your Pet

Create a safe zone within your home where your furry companion can relax with his favorite toys away from the commotion – do not allow anyone access to his area.  Keeping pets in a quiet room is also beneficial because you are then making sure no one accidentally lets them escape during a party.  Remember to either tell your guests that your pet should be left alone, tape a sign to the door saying “do not open,” or place a hook and eye lock on the door so that people know that it is not to be opened. The last thing you want is for a very excited pet to dash through the house, and possibly out the door to the outside of the house.  Whatever you do, the safety of your pets and guests should be a top concern.

Another great way to reduce your pet’s stress is by increasing their activity levels.  Add an extra five minutes to your daily walk, make extra trips to the local dog park, or play an extra game of fetch.  Always be sure that your pet has extra water, as increased stress and anxiety can also increase your pet’s thirst.

When bad behavior from anxiety does arise, it’s important to stay calm. Our furry babies respond to our emotions, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or angry….. your pet will sense it and act out.

Pheromones

The great thing about pheromone-based science is that it works on a level we rarely detect. Placing a diffuser in your home is a great way to calm pets .  Try Feliway Plug-In Diffuser for cats or Adaptil, D.A.P (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) for dogs. They are odor free, so you don’t have to worry about strange smells.

Bach Rescue Remedy also makes a stress relief supplement for pets, and it is made with all natural ingredients.

Do’s and Don’ts – Holiday Pet Costumes

We love taking pics of our pets dressed in holiday outfits. But, that’s as far as it should go. Some pets don’t mind wearing a jacket or hat, but it can be very stressful to those who are not accustomed to it year-round. Take your photos, then take the costume off. It’s a bad idea to present new stimuli (costumes) to pets who already have new stimuli (trees, decorations, holiday visitors) piling up around them.

Traveling With Your Pet

Leaving the familiarity of home can provoke anxiety in people and animals. If you are traveling by car for the holidays, be sure to bring along some of your pet’s favorite toys, a blanket or pillow bed, and his regular food. If your pet is used to sleeping in a crate, bring it along so he can sleep in his familiar space.

It is advised that you keep pets in a travel safe crate so that they are not able to move freely in the car. This covers a few bases. Keeping pets in travel crates prevents them from getting underfoot or on your lap while you are driving (an obvious hazard),  it prevents them from being thrown from the car should an accident occur, and it prevents them from getting free/running away during rest stops or after minor accidents have occurred. Unfortunately, these unhappy events do occur and are reported in the news frequently enough to make them worth noting. If you cannot fit a crate into your car, you can use a pet approved safety belt/harness to keep your pet in his seat, where he belongs.

On that note, make sure your pet is wearing identification at all times, and pack an emergency first aid kit for pets in case of an emergency. And don’t forget to take frequent breaks to allow for rest and relief.

Keep to a Routine

One of the best things you can do throughout it all is to stay to a familiar schedule. This means taking walks at the same time that you always do, and feeding at the same time as usual. It might help to create an alarm system on your mobile phone to remind you of your pet’s daily routine. Also, don’t forget to take time to play and show affection, so that your pet does not feel thrown off-balance by all of the activity and distractions.

Wishing you and your furry buddies a very Happy Holiday Season!