During the Christmas holidays, pets, which are one more member of the family, should also celebrate this special moment with us without forgetting that sometimes they require care specials These dates, when gifts, meals and visits abound, we tend to have a high level of stress, which will also affect our pets.
On our site we want to help you so that the whole family enjoys the holidays and for this we will guide you to know how to care for pets at Christmas. How can we avoid stress or how to act when they already have it?
Christmas and pets
Christmas is a very special time: the whole house is dressed in Christmas colors, lights, tablecloths and special foods, appropriate to the hemisphere where we celebrate.
But what about our pets? It does not matter if it is a rabbit, cat, or any other pet that they share these days with us, many times, the only company will be them and for them, us, so it will not be enough to change the color feeder, make some cookies or dress it up with a Christmas hat, we must treat it differently and share the essence of Christmas with our pets.
Many times we don't need to give him an expensive or large gift sometimes, with a few hours of walk in the park and try out a new toy, enough. It is important to make them participate in the event, if we have a gift with our name under the tree, why can't they have the same?
Fireworks and pets
Some animals don't suffer from the noises of the fireworks but there are others that get very upset, as a result of which there are owners who choose to offer tranquilizers on these dates.
The consequences suffered by animals that become upset are often irremediable: they run away from home losing their way and not being able to return home. Others bark all night or hide shivering in the bathroom or under the bed. To help you get through this situation we offer you some tips:
- Placing an identification tag on your dog or cat, if he does not already have one, is essential. Especially those animals that suffer and that also have access to the outside must be correctly identified in case they escape.
- On the holidays increase your physical activity so that at night you are more tired than usual. Practicing obedience, playing with the ball or exercising him actively are some ideas.
- Do not leave him tied up or alone because he can hang himself from anxiety.
- If he wants to hide, let him. You can even prepare a "nest" in which he feels safe and comfortable. Some animals appreciate being able to enjoy a dark and remote place to shelter.
- If you are in a new or unknown environment for him, don't leave him alone.
- If you are home alone, put on some music and leave your favorite toys nearby. You can even look for some that combine mental stimulation and food, since that way they will spend more time entertaining.
- If he doesn't have an appetite, don't force him to eat.
Natural remedies to calm dogs and cats
- Allopathic tranquilizers: the best known is Acepromazine, whose doses must be prescribed by a veterinarian, otherwise our pet may suffer side effects. It is not a harmless drug.
- Homeopathic tranquilizers: more used than the previous one, it should also be indicated by a homeopathic veterinarian or therapist. The most used is Aconitum.
- Bach Flowers: should be indicated by flower therapists to give the most suitable in these cases, depending on the pet and the situation that will live The most used are Aspen or Red Chestnut.
- Valeriana: It is a well-known medicinal plant worldwide and is easy to handle by anyone.
Christmas trips
If we decide to spend Christmas away from home, we must keep in mind what we will do with our pet. If we choose to take our pet with us, we must consider that the destination will be a totally new environment, added to the strange noises and different smells, we will have an animal, in general, somewhat stressed, nervous and even scared.
It is best to choose to arrive at the new site with more time than usual so that you can get used to it as best as possible. Also, we should not leave him alone in a room, allowing him to always have us visible. Finally, we recommend trying to bring all your things with which you feel most comfortable: feeders, blankets, toys…
In case staysand athome we can leave him with someone we trust or, if left alone, make sure the environment is safe so that he suffers as little as possible. Do not leave windows open or, what is better, nothing different from what he has when we go out for a walk and he stays alone for a few hours.
Finally, we remind you that there are veterinary clinics and residences where we can leave our pet if we go on vacation. Find a place where they take care of pets at Christmas and offer them a positive treatment.
Christmas games, gifts and recipes
There are many games that we can share with our pets. Just as we like to play with the kids at home, we can spend a little more time with our furry family. There are toys that we can make ourselves at home but you can also take advantage of these dates to get a gift for your partner.
Apart from the toys and other gifts you want to share with your pet, you can take advantage of the time that the holidays offer us to prepare a tasty recipe, always according to its species and limitations. Discover some Christmas recipes for dogs and other Christmas recipes for cats.
