It’s one of the most exciting times of the year for us humans, with lights twinkling, wrapping paper crinkling and tantalising aromas drifting through the home. In all the noise and fun, don’t forget to see things from your pets’ point of view. When their whole environment suddenly looks, smells, sounds and FEELS different, they will need some extra reassurance that everything is just fine.
First and foremost: keep them safe. Older pets, with plenty of experience, will probably show no interest at all in trailing tinsel, extra cables or the fact that you have planted a tree inside the house. They’ll simply accept it all as something they have seen (and smelled) before. Younger pets, however, might be quite overwhelmed by all the sparkle and must even be forgiven for ‘little accidents’ (well, it’s YOUR fault for bringing the tree indoors…)
Stick to THEIR routine: plan this one in advance and involve all family and guests! When you are wrestling the turkey out of the oven, burning the roast potatoes, soothing family squabbles and trying to remember where you put the new batteries, your pet is not going to sigh in an empathetic way and telepathically agree to ‘hold it’ for another ten minutes or ‘give the walk a miss today’… pets like routine, Christmas Day and every day! Even the tiniest of pets will expect the same amount of care, attention and fuss.
Avoid over feeding: this is essential. Phoning the vet on Christmas Day is not only HUGELY distressing and expensive but it won’t make you overly popular with the vet’s family either! Having said that, any vet would be quick to remind you not to hesitate to contact them if you are in any doubt whatsoever. Make sure that everyone in the house understands the rules. All pets are different, but most cope better with a familiar (and limited) diet. Our Christmas treats can cause them a lot of problems so avoid nibbles under the table, keep all food out of reach and check the water bowls frequently.
Give suitable treats: after all, everyone else is having them! You could make some special (and healthy) treats for your pet’s Christmas Day- just find some ideas online! Then agree how many will
be given over the course of the day. Better still, buy your pet a new toy for Christmas and watch them enjoying it while you eat far too much and wonder how you managed it. Which leads, naturally, to an extra walk today….that’ll get tails wagging.
Know your pet: how much fuss can they put up with? How much handling have their little bones had? How much noise does an old boy feel comfortable with? How long does your cat like to be left
snoozing, undisturbed, in a quiet corner?
With a little careful planning, you can enjoy your Christmas Day safe in the knowledge that EVERYONE is being properly looked after. And we hope that you ALL have a wonderful time.
