Woot!  Happy Holidays!!

Hopefully, you haven’t been caught up in such a frenzy of shopping fever that you’ve neglected yourself or your four-legged Best Friends who’ve been watching you come and go in a flurry of activity.

Merry…….pffffffffft. STOP dressing me up!!!

The ‘season to be jolly’ can be stressful even to your pets! Parties you rush to attend, comings and goings at all hours either because of shopping, deadlines to be met or because you want to get in a few days off, traveling hither and yon to visit friends and family, delivery trucks coming and going….it all adds up to a pile of chaos to which your pets are unaccustomed. A month of mania!

Aaaaahhhh….

Time to step back, make a cup of hot chocolate, snuggle up with our dogs and cats, and Take Five. When you are hugged it feels GOOD; it feels the same way to your pets, too. Sometimes it takes more than just a pat on the head or a few Guilt Cookies tossed to your dog as you hop through the front door to ease those feelings of anxiety or anticipated loss at your leaving.

My dogs just love being acknowledged even if by just speaking aloud what’s on my mind or some silly drivel: “How’s your day going?” “What have you been up to?” “Did you see what the neighbors are doing to their yard?” “Ooh, I hear coyotes outside…what do you think they’re up to?” “How do I get this IPhone to work?” “Here, let me read you this recipe”.

Of course, I could go on but usually wind up laughing at their expressions of Serious Intent when they listen…trying to pick up a word they recognize. Most often, I know they are listening for a Favorite Word, such as “walk” or “outside” or “cookie” but then there’s just that happiness at being recognized as Someone Important enough to be spoken to.

Dervookey – Unknown in Origin

My German Shepherd, Charlie, has an affinity for the television and will park herself on the couch with the remote in her mouth, hang her head over the back and watch me keenly while wiggling her eyebrows expectantly in a way to beckon me over to just “hang” with her. Frank & Beans, the Dachshunds, only need a blanket and a warm body and they are as content as little burritos. And then, there’s The Wookie – We never really know WHAT he’s thinking; he’s a dog unto himself – almost a different species!

I’ve noticed that the dogs’ “neediness” is reflected by their constantly being underfoot lately. Whether at my feet while at the computer, lying in front of the stove, the kitchen sink or the fridge, at the portals of every doorway; blocking my every conceivable move.

The cats, while generally pretty much blasé about Everything, even manage to make their presence known more overtly than usual–head butting me, interrupting their 23-hour naps to entangle my legs, paw at my hands or, when I’m actually stationary, making pizza dough using my stomach as their kneading board. Then, of course, there’s the requisite drooling in my hair. They are more temperamental than usual. In a house full of community spirit, where everybody gets along just fine, there’ve been a few hair-pulling incidents in an otherwise calm, peaceful environment.

Are youuuuuu leaving AGAIN???

I don’t need to look fur and wide for more activities that are destructive from my animals this month. There’s been more digging, more barking, more vomiting, more destroyed shoes…the signs of emotional neglect are all there. I cannot remember a month when my animals’ faces have all said, “He’s LOOKING at me!” more. And the scuffling begins.

So, just saying……everybody feels the nervous tension of the holidays and your pets are no exception. So, kick back, enjoy your faithful companions a little bit every day, and let them know that They Are Loved. You will be rewarded tenfold. Massaging your pets will relax them and YOU!

Be as loyal to them as they are to you…………and with all those comings and goings, make sure they don’t escape! Nothing will ruin your holiday more than a Lost Pet! Read more about how to protect them if they do escape by visiting chippit.org

Sharing makes me feel Good!