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DEAR PAW’S CORNER: This year, we are only going to have a few family members over on Christmas Day. In past years, I’ve put our dog, cat and rabbit in the back of the house with plenty of water and beds to sleep in, so the noise and lights and strange people don’t stress them out. I feel like we can safely keep the pets in their usual spots this year because there will only be eight people here for dinner and presents. What do you think? – Cheryl in Lake City, Florida
DEAR CHERYL: That’s your call. You know your pets.
In addition to the size of the gathering, you should consider the personalities of your guests: Are any of them timid or afraid around pets, and would anyone be upset if your dog starts barking?
The big question here is how many strangers each of your pets can handle. Rabbits, for example, are very susceptible to stress and should be kept in a quiet spot and not handled too much by visitors. A calm, well-socialized dog may be able to handle the influx of people. Same with your cat, who will simply disappear to a hiding spot if things get a little overwhelming.
Even though it’s a smaller crowd this year, make a plan and share it. How much time should the pets spend with visitors around? When should they be placed in a separate area? (During dinner or when presents are opened, for example.) If a pet shows signs of stress, such as barking, yelping, meowing, hissing or growling, who will grab them and take them to the quiet spot to calm down? When everyone knows the strategy, they can act quickly to keep the party calm and pets healthy and safe.
Send your tips, comments and questions to ask@pawscorner.com.
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