Our Pets Need Holiday Attention, Too

This is a season which seems to be full of holidays. From Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas, it seems as though we just move from one celebration to another. One of the most wonderful aspects of the season is that it's a time for celebrating the love and the closeness and the fellowship of our families. Most of us stay incredibly busy during this time of year. The normal routines and habits we observe during the rest of the year fly out the window, as we rush from parties to shopping malls, from churches to grandmothers' houses to holiday pageants. As hectic as it can be, at least we know that it will only last a short time, before winter sets in. At least, most of us know that it won't last. We may notice, at this time of year, our pets behaving in strange ways. Dogs and cats, especially, depend on the routine of their family, for security. The family dog will be confused, if his walk-time is altered, even by an hour. He may wait by the door, anxiously, wondering why we've forgotten him. That usually lazy, silent cat may stand by her empty bowl, staring into it, and meowing louldy, wondering in her cat-language why she's not being fed at the normally appointed time. Even pet birds measure their security by our constant habits. They know when the house should be quiet and empty, during the daylight hours, and when to expect the sound of the family, every evening. A sudden alteration in our normal habits will be noticed immediately by our pets, and they may react in odd ways. Cats may choose to hide in secret places, calling out, confused and frightened. Birds may eat much less or not at all for a while, and they may lose feathers in the process, or they may pick at themselves, opening sores on their bodies. Dogs who have been well-trained may suddenly behave like puppies, again, urinating indoors or chewing shoes or tearing up newspapers. We don't need to change the way we celebrate the holidays in order to please our pets, but we do need to be aware that they don't understand why Christmas alters our routines. As much as possible, pet owners need to spend a little extra time with their pets at this strange time of year. We need to let them know that, yes, we do think of them and that they really are important family members. There's nothing we can do to make our pets grasp what's happening, fully, but if we take a few minutes, each day, to acknowledge their importance in our lives, the stress we put them through during the holidays will be softened a great deal.