Bringing Your Pet Home for the Holidays

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Dec 3, 2004

If you are traveling during the holidays, you may find yourself bringing your pet with you. While traveling with your pet to someone's home poses many of the same concerns that you will experience when you stay in a hotel, (be sure to read my article "Pet Proofing Your Hotel Room") it also creates new concerns, especially during the holidays.

Whenever you and your pet travel, you will find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. Your pet may become stressed and exhibit inappropriate behaviours, such as relieving himself inside the house, barking, or scratching at the furniture. If your pet does appear to be stressed by his new surroundings, you can help to calm him by leaving him by himself in a quiet room, giving him time to explore the room and become used to the smell of the new place.

If your pet is not used to being around a lot of people, you will want to introduce him to new people slowly. Be sure to warn people to approach him slowly and to not make any sudden sounds or movements that could frighten your pet. Anticipate that it may take him a while to become accustomed to new people, and he may appear nervous for the first few days. Your pet may also exhibit his fear by barking or growling at people he does not know.

You will also want to pet proof the home where you will be staying, as well as the homes of any friends or family that you might visit. Be sure to close toilet lids, to move any knick-knacks that are placed low and could be knocked over, and to move low plants that could be knocked over or eaten.

Some special concerns for the holidays are poinsettias, which are poisonous to animals. Christmas trees can also pose a concern: an excited pet can knock it over, and cats will sometimes try to climb them. Male dogs have also been known to relieve themselves on Christmas trees, especially if they have been drinking water from a live tree.

Other holiday concerns are decorative lights, which your pet may try to play with and become entangled in, or may try to chew on. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and plastic bags might be left lying around and can pose a choking hazard, especially for puppies and kittens. Plastic bags especially pose a suffocation hazard, and the crinkling sound is especially frightening to cats. Small toys can also pose a choking hazard to puppies and kittens, who often examine new things by chewing on them. Candles can also be dangerous, as curious pets can singe whiskers or burn their nose, and candles placed on low tables can be knocked over to start fires, or can set fur alight.