If Your Pet Could Talk: Can Pets Suffer From Holiday Stress?

s.hetts Dr. Suzanne Hetts, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

If Your Pet Could Talk: Dr. Suzanne Hetts provides holiday tips and information for PetSmart this holiday season to help make pets enjoy this time as much as pet parents. Part two lists practical tips for pet parents to reduce stress as the season of parties, presents and travel winds down.

While your pets don’t have to worry about holiday shopping or decorating the house, your changing and likely hectic schedule can stress your pets. Having visitors in your home, less time to spend with your pets, less patience, or even traveling during holiday vacations can affect your pets’ behavior. 

Just like people, individual pets respond to stressors differently.  The following behavior changes may indicate your pets are feeling the effects of holiday strains:

1. A decreased appetite due to increased anxiety

2. Increased hiding or aloofness because of too much commotion, too much tension or too many people in the house

3. Uncharacteristic behaviors such as growling, snapping, hissing or swatting which can be signs of increased irritability or anxiety from too many visitors or you being more curt with your pet

4. Additional signs of nervousness such as whining or meowing, or even increased attention seeking

5. House soiling, which could be urine-marking, caused by the presence of visitors

6. Destructive behavior, which can result from less exercise or play time, and other changes in routine

7. A decreased willingness to engage in activities your pet normally enjoys

These behavior changes can also be signs of illness or disease, so take your pet to your veterinarian if your pet displays these signs for more than a few days or sooner if multiple signs are present or more severe than what you would expect.

If you are experiencing holiday stress, experts recommend seeking support and companionship, and taking time for yourself to unwind.  What better way to do so than taking your dog for a walk, spending some quiet time with your cat on the couch or being able to laugh at your pet’s cute antics during play with a favorite toy. Helping your pet cope with holiday stress will help you do the same.  

Dr. Suzanne Hetts is a certified applied animal behaviorist with more than 25 years' experience working with people and behavior problems in dogs and cats. She recently created the If Your Pet Could Talk program for PetSmart to help pet parents recognize and understand their pet's communication behaviors. She earned a bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Medical Technology, a master's degree in Wildlife Biology and a Ph.D. in Zoology/Animal Behavior, all from Colorado State University, and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society.

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