How to prepare your pet to cope with stress of holiday season
The holiday season can be stressful, but most people look forward to some relaxation time.
However, this can be the most stressful time of the year for pets, says veterinary behaviourist Dr Aileen Pypers, who also consults at Pets at Play.
RELATED: Top tips for keeping your furry friends cool in summer
Routines are changing, kids are home from school for the holidays, people are going away, they socialise more, there's spring cleaning....
Dr Aileen Pypers, Veterinary behaviourist
She says owners need to pay more attention to their animals, specifically looking for signs of stress and responding accordingly.
She recommends the website ispeakdog.org for dog owners to help decode body language.
Dr Pypers urges people to consult a professional in the case of a pet that has already shown signs of more serious behavioural problems. These signs include:
- Showing any kind of aggression in a situation where a pet has been fearful
- Destroying belongings
- Vocalising excessively when left alone
The added stress of the holiday season is just going to exacerbate that and it could end in a situation where you are legally liable for the way your pet has responded to something stressful.
Dr Aileen Pypers, Veterinary behaviourist
For more tips and advice, take a listen:
More from Lifestyle

Holiday road trip ahead? City offering free vehicle safety checks until Friday
CAR magazine technical consultant Nicol Louw runs through the vital checks you can get the experts to do and those to do yourself.
Read More
Is juicing really better for you than eating foods whole?
Food writer Andrea Burgener argues that while juicing can make a difference to your health, it's not necessarily in a positive way
Read More
Does your dog have behavioural problems? This could be why
While obedience training can be taught to dogs of all ages, there's a small window period for when puppies must be socialised.
Read More
Drop the good/bad labels - How to help develop healthy eating habits in kids
Clinical psychologist Ruth Ancer says it's parents who need to rethink their tendency to label food as good or bad.
Read More
'My kids are better than me' - Prof. Jonathan Jansen on effective parenting
The influential professor of education discusses the importance of reinforcing the values you are trying to teach your children.
Read More
Fatherhood and daughters: Here's why Mpho Popps takes his daughter on dates
Mpho Popps shares his views about modelling to his daughter what a good relationship with a man should look like.
Read More
Why you should take your boredom more seriously
Your boredom is very insightful. Writer Anna Hartford shares her thoughts on why we should be more invested in understanding it.
Read More
'I feel as though I can conquer the world' - double lung-transplant recipient
Tanya Bothma and Dr Dr Greg Calligaro chat to Pippa Hudson on the second anniversary of the life-changing procedure.
Read More
25 of the best books to read or gift this holiday season
CapeTalk host Pippa Hudson reflects on some of the best books released this year and discusses a few gems with local publishers.
Read More
Block all pornography in SA, for the children! - Law Reform Commission of SA
If your child has a phone, she’s seen pornography. Refilwe Moloto interviews Dean McCoubrey of online safety firm MySocialLife.
Read More