Christmas preparations seem to start earlier and earlier and this year is no exception, with trees and lights adorning many households already, and ‘Black Friday’ deals in abundance. And so it’s time for the ManxSPCA to enter the Christmas spirit and give some practical tips to pet owners to make, what can be, a challenging time for our four-legged companions as stress free as possible.
Maintaining a routine is easier said than done for many people, but pet owners need to do their best to keep meal, walk and bed times consistent for their dogs, even if parties and visitors to the house make this tricky. Whilst cats are generally pretty adept at avoiding people they don’t want to meet, and can take themselves off to a quiet bedroom or out through the cat flap, dogs may find visitors to their home a stressful experience. This could lead to unwanted behaviours such as urinating inside or chewing furniture.
For a sensitive dog, visitors represent an onslaught of strange smells and noises which can be overwhelming. If you have such a dog, and you are anticipating friends and family visiting, plan ahead and create a routine: leave a note on the door that asks visitors to desist from ringing the bell, which is triggering for most dogs, and to make a gentle knock instead.
Once your visitors are in the house, let your dog say hello and then remove him or her to a different room and give them a ‘high value’, long-lasting treat (a bone, or a Kong stuffed with turkey, for example) – one that is only given when you have guests. This not only rewards your dog for moving to a different room, but the repetitive act of chewing displaces anxiety and will help him or her to self-regulate.
If your dog then choses to come back to see your visitors, it will be on their terms and should be less overwhelming.
Much as we love our pets, there’s no need to spend money on Christmas presents for them, although the pet industry relies heavily on us doing so. You can spend a small fortune on gifts such as advent calendars filled with edible treats, spangly Christmas jumpers for dogs and cats, and ‘pawsecco’ for them to drink.
Why not spend some time making DIY gifts? The boxes and brown paper bags that all our internet purchases arrive in are a goldmine, and convert easily into enrichment toys. For dogs, place small treats or biscuits in a sealed box with holes cut into the sides. Working out how to extract the treats will provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation.
And you can do the same for cats, and add in scrunched up newspaper or wrapping paper. You could also add unbreakable tree baubles, and a sprinkle of catnip for extra excitement.
At this time of year we will generally only re-home dogs and cats to individuals or families who are planning to have a quiet festive period, to minimise stress and anxiety for all concerned. We also advocate that pets should not be given as gifts – they may end up being unplanned, and ultimately unwanted.