I just can’t believe that here I am again, with the weather still warm and autumnal, talking about Christmas! Watching everyone enjoy such incredibly unusual weather makes it even harder to realise that in just a few weeks people will be putting up their trees and decorations, ordering their Christmas food, and working out where they are going to share their time! Our pets, who are a very integral part of our family, don’t share the same excitement (or dread!) as we do, but are aware that something different is happening as we head towards that festive time. Having spent many years going over the same old stuff, I want to make a few other points that could be useful to you during what can be a very stressful time.

Dogs are creatures of habit, and for most of the year we probably follow a well worked out routine, which is acceptable to both you and your pet. However, once the children have broken up from school, or we get closer to those final couple of weeks, our habits change, we become focused on the impending festivities, and the dog often has to fit in with what we are doing. Try, where possible to keep your routine, your dog will not stress if things are as normal as possible. Many dogs that are normal calm, and personable can become stressful and agitated when change affects their lives. We all want to have a good time during the holidays, but our pets welfare has to be taken into consideration too. If you are having a lot of visitors make sure you know that your pet can cope. If your dog (or cat) isn’t use to young children, don’t expect him to know how to behave around them, if you haven’t given him any guidance previously. Loud noises and fast moving kids can be the last straw for some animals, so please make sure that your pets are supervised at all times, a nervous dog make strike out when all he wants to do is get out of the way. Give your dog somewhere that is ‘his’ place, and make the children aware that this is where he will go when he wants to be left alone. Many people would prefer to put their pet completely out of the way, possibly in another room but remember if you do this, go and see them frequently. Make sure they have food, water , and they are comfortable and don’t feel they are being punished! Give them something they can play with or chew, so that they don’t get into more mischief by being bored! Cats too can be uncomfortable around people they don’t know, but they usually manage to make themselves scarce!

If you are going away and they are going to kennels, make sure everything is sorted out long before you go! Kennels get booked well in advance, so don’t leave it to the last minute to sort out where they are going. It’s never a good idea to leave them for the first time over a long period, give them a trial first to see how they cope. Some dogs, no matter how great the kennels are, just don’t settle, better to know before you jet off for your break, then feel guilty when you get back!

Christmas trees, ornaments, presents, tree lights, candles, chocolate, alcohol, poinsettia, holly, turkey bones, blah blah blah , are all possible problems (and poisons) for your pets, and careful thought should be given as to where they are put. Buying pressies for our pets is something that satisfies our own desires, but they are not bothered if you’ve spent an absolute fortune on a great new toy, or whether you’ve bought a squeaky toy from the Chinese shop! Toys designed specifically for pets are better quality but often come at a price, but whatever we buy for them, ensure they enjoy them without causing any problems. Squeaky toys can quickly loose their squeak, just make sure they don’t swallow it! If they have a ‘ropey’ keep an eye on it if it starts to loose it’s ‘rope’ ! This can be ingested and get tangled in intestines (not nice) .

Over indulging your dog (cat) can be as bad as over indulging yourself (although you think it is a good idea at the time!!) Again we come back to routine, so feeding times and quantities shouldn’t be changed, although a little turkey meat on Christmas day could be acceptable.

We all want to have a good time over the holiday, and having our pets with us during this time is just as important as having the rest of the family together. No one enjoys Christmas more than me, and Phoebe also has a good time too. Enjoy the fun that they can bring during this time. Old bits of wrapping paper, and empty boxes are great for all of them to play with, and costs virtually nothing. Just remember you have to do the clearing up!