Prepare households, pets for approaching holiday season

By Sun Advocate

Holiday visitors can scare pets. But strangers are not the only things to beware of on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
Kellyann Conway, director of training and behavior at Animal Planet’s Petvideo.com Pet Video, offers a number tips for Carbon County residents to consider during the approaching holiday season.
Conway, a certified and award winning trainer encourages local pet owners to beware of unsafe holiday decorations.
Wires and electrical cords are an invitation to teething pets or animals who simply like to chew on whatever is available, pointed out the animal trainer.
People with pets should try to use a cord container to prevent wires from being chewed on or gnawed by cats or dogs in the household.
Pet owners should avoid dangling holiday decorations that pets may become entangled in.
Carbon County residents should take steps to keep candy up and away from a pets’ reach.
Most people know that dogs and cats shouldn’t have candy – especially chocolate, which is toxic to the pets.
But even the candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed by the cats and dogs, advised the animal trainer
People should remember, that no matter how much a pet begs for a sweet, there should be no sharing of candy with the animals.
If it looks like a pet has eaten something the animal shouldn’t have, local residents should contact a veterinarian immediately, emphasized Conway.
Pets can be easily overwhelmed by holiday visitors who are continually coming and going, added the animal trainer.
Carbon County pet owners can manage cats and dogs by limiting the animals’ access to the doors and entryways at a private residence.
People can use a leash or a baby gate, place the cats or dogs in animal crates or put the pets in a separate room while holiday visitors are about the house, pointed out Conway.
Turning on some music will muffle the knocking, the doorbell ringing or the general sound of people having fun, added the animal trainer.
Pet owners can also prepare a chew or catnip toy to help keep the animals occupied while hosting holiday parties or entertaining visitors, concluded Conway.