How to Have Safe Holiday Celebrations with Your Pets
Safety is something that should be on all of our minds right now. We are all struggling to find ways to celebrate the holiday season and also deal with the COVID-19 pandemic raging around us. If you choose to travel, or if loved ones choose to travel to you, there are steps you can take to keep your pets safe. Plus, they’ll put your mind at ease!
1.) Make sure ID tags and microchip information are up to date.
Sound familiar? I have written about this before in my Halloween Safety Tips entry. This is important! We don’t like to think anything bad could happen during the holidays, but the reality is that it could. In a strange home or surrounded by people that they don’t know, pets can feel overwhelmed and may not respond in ways that they usually do. Holidays are also so exciting and many people may not be used to having pets in the home. It is easy to forget to close the storm door, or to leave the gate to the backyard unlatched, making escapes more likely. Making sure that our contact information on all pet ID tags as well as the information attached to their microchip is correct is crucial. If the worst does happen, we want it to be as easy as possible for your pets to be found and returned to you quickly and safely!
2.) If you are traveling, print copies of your pet’s vaccination records to carry with you.
You heard me! Print those copies! In the age of technology most of us, myself included, have access to our pet’s vaccination records and medical histories on our phones. This is great, but not an excuse to not bring old fashioned paper copies of each. If something happens and your pet is injured, sick, or bites someone, immediate access to those records will be important. If your phone dies, or you unintentionally leave it behind in the excitement, vets may not have the information they need to help your pet. I recommend printing off vaccination records and any important medical information and keeping them in your car when you travel. I keep mine in the passenger side visor, but the dashboard or center console would work well too!
3.) Watch your pets closely, and crate them when you can’t.
Another topic I have touched on before! Management is an often overlooked component to success. If we want our pets to behave, we have to help them by preventing problems before they occur. Keeping a close eye on our pets will prevent them from stealing food from Grandma, peeing and pooping on Aunt Sheila’s new, very expensive rug, or chewing the festive décor. I recommend utilizing baby gates to keep dogs out of high traffic areas like the kitchen, or entry/exit points. If baby gates aren’t your style, dog’s can drag a leash around during festivities or you can tether their leash to a large piece of furniture. These techniques help set your pets up for success by limiting their options and making it easier for you to keep an eye on them. If you aren’t able to watch your pet, put them in their crate or in a bedroom/extra room.
4.) Have safety stations set up throughout the home.
Safety stations are amazingly helpful and help reduce stress for everyone involved. Safety stations are places that are designed to keep your pets comfortable and allow them to feel included in the activities, but also help them feel safe and stay out of harm’s way. Playpens can make good safety stations and so does a well placed baby gate. Placing a gate in a hallway to separate pets from the noise and activity will help reduce their stress by helping them feel safe. This is a great way for pets to be around small children or toddlers in a safe way. Be sure to put your pet’s favorite bedding in the safety station. We also like to include a fun interactive feeder toy or stuffed Kong to keep them happy and entertained.
5.) Plan ahead.
It’s that simple. Plan ahead! Where are you going? What are you doing? Who will be staying with you? It is really important that we consider our furry friends when making plans for the holidays. Making sure we plan things out as much as we can will help reduce the chance of something falling through the cracks. Make sure to think about where your pets will stay if you decide to go out unexpectedly. Sure, your family hasn’t gone to a movie during the holiday season for years, but what if this is the year? Be sure to plan whether your pet will be left loose, crated, in a play pen, or closed in a bedroom. (And don’t forget to do a trial run! If you are traveling be sure to leave your pet for a short period of time prior to the main event.) Bring extra food if you are traveling. Yes, I know you are only staying with your parents for 3 days, but you should bring a few extra days of food just in case!
2020 has been a heckuva year y’all. I think this year has shown us all, that if it can go wrong, it will. Please make plans and think about how your pets will adjust to these changes in their routines. A little bit of effort on our part could prevent something bad from happening! So worth it. Please stay safe and socially distance. Happy holidays y’all!