♫Jingle bells, Fido smells, Granny fed him something strange…♫
There’s no denying that Christmas is an eventful time of year. Your time and energy are in high demand so throwing an overexcited or anxious pet into the mix can feel like the last straw. While we can’t help you achieve the perfect apples pies, we can give you some advice for happier pets. It comes in three stages – Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future! Let’s start by stepping back in time.
Learn from Christmas Past
The best way to have a wonderful holiday season with your pets is to learn from previous experience – AKA Christmases past. Take a trip down memory lane to identify your pet’s festive behavioral traits in the categories below. (We’ll guide you through how to handle each personality type in the next section.)
Festive Fido
You have a Festive Fido if your pet is happy, calm, and a delight to have around during the festive period. They love to meet visitors but aren’t too bothered about decorations or disruption. Your Festive Fido will take everything in stride – the playful icing on your Christmas cake!
Party Popping Pet
The Party Popping Pet tends to take things a bit too far. He or she sees the decorations as toys to be destroyed, the tree as a climbing frame, and every guest as a new playmate. Fun, playful, and easily excited, these cats and dogs may make you laugh, but they can also put themselves in potentially dangerous situations.
Greedy Guts
Can’t turn your back on the Christmas treats for a second? Sounds like you’ve got a Greedy Guts on your hands. Pets can be culprits in this situation (not to mention humans!). From the counter-surfers to the cupboard openers, the present-unwrappers right through to the decoration destroyers, holiday success is all about preparation and prevention if you’ve a Greedy Guts in tow.
Scaredy Scrooge
Finally, we have the Christmas-haters. Many dogs find new things, visitors, and a disruption to their routine stressful and very scary. If your pet tends to shy away from visitors, or turn away from their food over the holiday period, it may be that they are finding the festivities a scary ordeal.
Christmas Present – things to do for a fantastic holiday season
Now that you’ve identified your pet’s holiday personality type, here’s how to handle it with a look at the Christmas Present:
Managing your Festive Fido
Though your pet may seem in perfect spirits, it’s important to keep an eye on their diet and be mindful of their stress levels. Sometimes seemingly happy pets are actually feeling quite anxious –It’s a good idea to learn the signs of nervous dogs so you can manage their environment if you notice that their behavior is abnormal.
Top Tips:
- Keep up their routine and don’t forget to give them lots of attention.
- Remember their Christmas gift we’ll be sharing some suggestions soon.
- Remind little ones to be gentle, and to only stroke with one hand. This stops your pet from feeling smothered.
- Always supervise pets and children.
Getting your Party Popper under control
Of all the pet personalities, these super-fun, super-playful pets can prove to be the most challenging to manage. Mostly it’s about keeping them safe, and managing their energy levels.
Your pets’ playful nature can put them at risk of festive injuries, so be sure that they are always supervised. You should consider keeping the fun in a single room. This way, you can close the door and keep your pet out if need be, but be sure that they’ve something to keep them occupied and happy away from the rest of the fun.
Top Tips:
- Avoid flashing lights as they’re particularly tempting to dogs who like to play and chew.
- Make sure wires and presents aren’t accessible and consider a baby pen/barrier around the tree if you can’t keep your unsupervised pet in a different room.
- Watch out for pine needles as they can stick in paws and coats - ouch!
- Avoid buying glass ornaments. Bouncy dogs and fragile decor don’t make a happy mix.
- Don’t shout at them if they’re ‘naughty’. It’s better to encourage good behavior through positive reinforcement.
Greedy Guts
We already know that a Greedy Guts will take advantage of every opportunity to sneak a treat. It’s not easy to keep all food out of reach, but with practice, and preparation it is possible.
Top tips:
- Wear them out by getting out in the fresh air away from all the tempting treats!
- Have some fun with brain games for dogs to distract these greedy guzzlers.
- Make the family aware by having a strict ‘no human food for pets’ rule and enforce it. Pets find inconsistency confusing, and humans can easily get mixed up about what’s pet-safe and what’s not. So it’s in everyone’s interests to be clear and stick to the rules you set.
- Give them some quiet time. Use a crate if you have a dog, especially if you’re preparing food or can’t properly supervise.
- Be wary of edible decorations and presents because dogs have an amazing sense of smell. Wrapping paper might fool you but rest assured that Greedy Guts will sniff out the tasty treats in seconds.
- Try a shelf for presents or put a guard around the tree to reduce scrounging.
- Invest in child locks if you’ve got a particularly clever cat or dog. Keep tempting and poisonous treats in a kitchen cupboard, safely locked away.
Scaredy Scrooge
For the pets who find the holiday season stressful, there are plenty of ways to help. Try and reduce disruption by keeping decorations and visitors in one area of the home, away from your pet’s bed. Dogs can benefit from a calming supplement (starting a couple of weeks before Christmas).
Top tips:
- Don’t encourage children to play with your pet if he or she seems fearful or stressed.
- Let your pet hide if he or she wants to, even on ‘the big day’.
- Don’t dress your dog up, or make your cat wear a festive collar.
- Try and stick to their routine. Don’t skip walks or their evening saucer of cat-milk.
Christmas Future – prepare for every eventuality
What if something goes wrong on the day? We don’t have a crystal ball, but we do have some suggestions to prepare for a safe, happy Christmas.
There’s no need to share your Christmas dinner
A big bowl of festive cheer may be a delicious treat, but a sudden change of diet can lead to digestive issues. A small amount of lean white meat (less than half their full ration) is another less-risky treat.
Check your vet’s holiday hours
Many vets provide 24/7 emergency care, but it’s a good idea to make yourself a list of the closest Pet Emergency Clinics that are open 24/7. It might also be a good idea to have a pet-friendly taxi number or use your Uber App if you’re not planning on having a designated driver in the house.
Be tummy-rumble ready
Stock up some digestive supplements and have some chicken and rice on standby in case treats are sneaked and stomach can get sensitive.
Make a pet first aid kit
Antiseptic wipes, gauzes, bandages and a skin salve might all come in handy.
Know – and print out – the pet poison list
Take a look here or download it here in a printable format. Put it on the fridge, so you can check in an instant if you need an emergency vet visit if your pet ingests something they shouldn’t.
Have fun together!
Don’t forget to include your pet in your festive plans. Make your dog’s day and get the whole family out for a fun Christmas walk or visit to the park. Christmas is a time for family and at Lintbells we believe that pets are right at the heart of the festive season.
Do you think your pet is a Festive Fido or a Greedy Guts? Do you have some festive photos to share or suggestions for enjoying the holiday season with your pets? We’d love to hear about how you celebrate, so please leave a comment and join the Lintbells community on Facebook and Instagram.
