Pet Friendly Tips to be Holiday Ready

Evaluate all fur-babies' socialization skills

It will not be a surprise that your house (or the house you'll be spending the holidays at) will be filled with adorable pets, the majority will be with cats and dogs. These pets may not recall or have never had any encounters with each other before. Before letting them all out and allowing them to get together in their own paw-tiful ways this holiday, assess.

Are they okay being together with other pets and with other people? Are they in a relaxed manner or does one of them show fear or aggression towards everyone else? By evaluating each fur-babies' socialization skills (not just with pet guests but with human guests, too!), you will then know when a confinement area is needed.

Keep your home safe

Cats and dogs are curious beings. With all the holiday hustle and bustle that's going on, they will never become fixated on just one thing. They will try to explore the things you brought home for the holidays like wreaths, trees, decorations and even the presents under the Christmas tree.

Some of our holiday decors at home can cause serious injuries to your fur-baby.

It is your responsibility as a pet parent to keep these things away or out of reach of the pets at home.

Opt to go artificial. Real Christmas trees have thorn and can hurt you and your pet. Pine needles can also be very dangerous especially when your pet ingests it.

Stay away from glitters. Glittery holiday decors are what we've always been used to and all those glitz and spark will definitely trigger your fur-baby's curiosity. One of the top sparkly items we use, tinsel, is very dangerous when ingested. That could call for a disaster so it's better to stay safe.

Be strategic. Think of places to put your glass decors away from the reach of your fur-baby. If broken, glass shards can wound your pet and can even be accidentally swallowed. Tsk tsk tsk.

Don't take the risks. It's always better to be safe than to be sorry. Never risk anything you know might harm your pet. You can stay safe by using cloth and paper decorations instead. They're shatter-free, cost-effective and even if your fur-baby decides to play with it, you'll definitely have nothing to worry about (except that you need to put it up again).

Provide a safe place

Having a safe place for your fur-baby is extremely helpful for the holidays. It's not always fun and games since your fur-baby will easily get stressed out from all the loud noises, laughter, and new faces she has to deal with every time. She will try to find her own space where she can hide and it's best that you're able to provide that. It can be a bed inside a closet, under a table or inside a small room that's far from all the noise.

Update IDs

This is a must especially when things get so busy around the house. During holidays, there are high risks of your pet going missing or running away and keeping her identification tags or microchip updated will help lessen your stress if ever something unpleasant happens. Keep in mind to never leave your pet alone for a long period of time if you are going holiday shopping or going out with family members to enjoy the cold holiday breeze. You can bring your fur-baby with you or find her a trusted pet sitter. 

Use pet diapers and pee pads

Not all pets are used to the holidays. Some get anxious and signs can include trembling, shaking, hiding, diarrhea, frequent urination, and even marking. They will struggle and you will, too, having to clean up all their mess around the house because you probably don't want the house to be smelling a lot more like pee and poop rather than the holidays. But you see, you can always have something to avoid the crazy cleanups.

Let your fur-baby wear Pet Parents dog diapers, belly bands or cat diapers for a mess-free holiday.

Letting them wear these products will give them the freedom to pee or poop anytime they find the need to without having to go outside to potty or to stress-out people in the house. Just make sure to change the diaper or belly band when needed to avoid giving your fur-baby a urine burn or rash.

Support it with pee pads