Keeping your pets calm at Christmas

The festive season can be filled with fun memories, but for our pets it can be a stressful time where their home is full of new people and sounds.

If you're planning on taking them to see family or friends, they'll be in unfamiliar surroundings too. This can lead to them behaving in ways they wouldn’t normally.

We’ve asked vets Dr Rachel Sant, Dr Sue Dorey and clinical animal behaviourist Rachel Rodgers from FirstVet for their advice on keeping your dogs and cats relaxed this Christmas.

For dogs

A safe space

Christmas is an exceptionally stressful time for dogs. We often forget this with all the excitement going on. We recommend prepping a safe place for them in advance.

A den or crate is an ideal place for your dog to relax. This should be something you put up early and help them to enjoy using high value treats, long lasting chews or enrichment items like Kongs or Lickimats.

Make it cosy with nice bedding and even consider covering it with a blanket to help it muffle out sounds and block out the flashes from fireworks.

Always tell visitors, especially children, that if the dog is in their den they should be left alone. No one should touch them, mess with them or get into the den or bed with the dog.

Coach the kids

Young children are the most likely group to get bitten by dogs. This is often because they do not read a dog's body language, but also as they can be very excitable at this time of the year which dogs find hard to understand.

Consider using free resources such as the colouring in sheets from Dogs Trust and KAD (Kids Around Dogs) to help children understand how to behave around dogs. Most of all, never leave a dog and a child unattended.

Give dogs a break

Many dogs struggle with trigger stacking over the festive period. From Christmas crackers to fireworks, they're exposed to lots of stressful events and all of these things build up.

Help them out by giving them lots of enrichment items or a nice long walk where they can sniff and relax. This gives them time away from a hectic home and will encourage them to have a nap.

In general, don’t forget your dog’s walks! The weather may be rubbish and you may be busy, but keeping their routine as normal as possible will help to lower their stress levels and reduce the chance of any incidents.

Manage expectations

Make Christmas easier for your dog. Don’t leave food in locations where they could steal it. If you have a table of food prepared, then keep the door shut or use a doggy stopper to prevent them from accessing the room.

If you have done enrichment in the past where your dog was allowed to rip up cardboard boxes, then don’t leave presents in boxes under the tree. It is unfair to expect them to understand the difference between what they can play with and what they can’t.

Swap not steal

If your dog does take something they should not have, whether it is food or a present, then always swap not steal. If your dog has stolen something, the chances are they think it is high value.

If you just try to snatch it off them, they may escalate their behaviour up the ladder of communication by freezing, growling, snapping or biting.

Instead, go to the fridge and get some ham or cheese. Place small bits of it down to the side of your dog. When they come to take this exciting new treat, feed them a few more and then calmly collect the item they have stolen.

For cats

A quiet place

As well as lots of shiny decor, new foods and strange plants, general noise levels often increase during end of year festivities. Depending on your cat's personality, having a home full of people can heighten their stress levels.

Whether its children enjoying themselves or older people with deeper voices and walking frames, these unfamiliar noises are difficult for cats to understand, especially if they usually enjoy a peaceful, calm and solitary life.

Make sure your cat has a quiet place to retreat to and don’t shut them in a room with everyone. Use comfy bedding for them to curl up in and move their food and water into the safe space. An extra litter tray nearby will be appreciated too.

Be mindful

Avoid noisy party poppers and resist the temptation to buy fragrant candles as cats don’t like lots of strong smells in their environment. Many don’t enjoy being dressed up either, so don’t add to their stress by putting them in costume.

Other ideas to help ease your cat into the festive season are aids like Feliway plug-in diffusers, which release relaxing pheromones into the room. Zylkene capsules can also make them feel calmer.

If you’re looking for more ways to take care of your pet, thinking about insurance is a good place to start. Check out our pet insurance page to get a quote for your furry friend.

Every policy provides unlimited online consultations with a vet 24/7/365 via FirstVet. Just download the app from Google Play or the App Store, connect to the internet and get started.