What to do when unexpected pets arrive?

So you made it through Christmas and no one knocked over the fully decorated tree. But you’re not home free quite yet. The holidays will extend for several more days and chances are, at least one visitor, invited or not, will want to drop by your house with a pet in tow. If they ask in advance, at least you have the option of declining to include Fido, while trying to sound as regretful as possible. But if they insist, you should probably set some ground rules, yet still sound like a welcoming host.
“It’s not uncommon for guests to bring pets to holiday parties because they consider their animals a part of the family and no longer want to leave them at home,” said Dr. Jeff Smith, president of the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). “Nevertheless, whether you’re a pet lover or not, it’s always good to be prepared if ever asked to house a four-legged visitor during times of festive gatherings.”
The CVMA offers some guidelines for dealing with situations like this. Your first loyalty is, of course, to the safety and comfort of your own pets as well as members of your family. If your dog, cat or rabbit easily adjusts to unfamiliar animals in the house, you’re halfway there. If not, well, New Year’s Eve is exciting enough without the added stress of worrying whether your uptight Greyhound will attack your laidback Basset hound.
Beyond that, your first step should be to ask potential guests the following questions before deciding whether to accept or refuse a pet visitor:
— Is the visit for a short time, a few hours or several days, and what will that mean in terms of accommodating the pet?
— How might the breed, size and disposition of the pet impact the type of event you are hosting?
— Do you know about the visiting pet’s behavior? Is it well behaved, a brand new puppy or an older animal? Is it accustomed to being around a lot of people and activity? How might it react to unfamiliar surroundings?
— Where would the animal stay? Indoors or outdoors? Confined or allowed to roam?
— What if the dog barks too much or the cat scratches furniture?
— Will anyone participating in the holiday festivities have pet allergies?
— Are you willing to risk a friendship if your guests are offended because you do not want their pet to be included?
By answering these questions, you should be able to define your expectations and house rules for pet visitors. In many cases, the experience will turn out to be a happy one if you find out more about the visiting pet and let your guests know honestly what your boundaries are up front.
Once you accept a guest pet, make the animal comfortable by following these tips:
— Keep the animal confined to a quiet area of the house if it tends to get overly anxious or beg for food around the table.
— Make sure the pet has a safe retreat from well-intentioned visitors, children and your own pets.
— Watch for open doors, and make sure the pet has an ID tag and/or microchip in case it gets out.
— Keep candles, holiday decorations and food out of reach of animals. Light strands, loose wires and electric cords can be serious hazards, and chocolate can be toxic to an animal.
— Make sure guests don’t feed the pet food scraps. Small bones or fragments may lodge in the animal’s throat, stomach or intestinal tract.
If you choose to refuse a guest pet, consider these options:
— Call your veterinarian to find out about nearby kennels where the animal can stay.
— Log onto PetTravel.com, which has a free listing of pet-friendly hotels around the world offering special amenities for pets, including dog walking and training, plush dog beds and even special pet menus and massages.
— Don’t be afraid to say a courteous “no” in the first place; a guest may be fine with it, and your anxiety over the issue will be all for naught.
— Strike a compromise with your guests and suggest another time and place to get together with them and the animal: a park, a campsite or a hotel willing to accommodate pets.
And, finally, don’t ask a guest to do what you are not willing to do yourself. Practice pet etiquette at all times wherever you go. As a pet owner, if you don’t think your own pet can adapt to a new environment or is constantly misbehaving, it’s best to leave it at home or in trusting hands where it can be properly cared for while you are away.