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     Buy It For Less At...  |
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Buy It For Less At... |
Care must be taken to avoid stressful situations when guests arrive. Here are some suggestions for having successful visits from family and friends:
Find a nice quiet place for the pet to be away from guests such as a laundry rooms, basement, and yard. Etc. Make sure the pet has food, water, potty necessities (litterboxes, newspapers, access to yard, etc.) shelter (warmth, etc.) and something to do for the duration such as toys, bones, and a radio for "company".
If guest is allergic (be sure to ask all potential guests if they have allergies, animal fears/phobias, or if they like or dislike animals in advance) and if stay is extended, consider:
Boarding or kenneling your pet at a reputable facility
Asking a friend or family member to pet sit
Asking a relative to put the family member or guest up at their place
Relocating festivities to another location; especially if you have a number of pets
Offer to split the cost of a hotel room
Make sure that guests are aware that you have pets that live indoors and that this is their home
Caution allergic guests that it is impossible to remove all pet hair and dander-so that they may plan accordingly (bring medications, make other arrangements, etc.)
Advise guests regarding animal hair and that dark clothing might want to be avoided
Caution guests in idiosyncrasies of your pet, such as the cat
likes to sleep on THAT particular bed, or the dog gets up in the
night for a drink and a bite to eat, etc. and what to do to avoid
confrontations and fears
Do not allow guests to feed your pets anything-this helps control
what your pet takes in and decrease possibilities of illness,
vomiting, and diarrhea during the visit
Instruct both parents and children that your pets must be treated with respect in your home and that they must refrain from chasing, teasing, squeezing, and irritating your pet. Be clear on rules that could result in danger to the pet or the guest such as pulling the animal's tail, cats that don't like to be held, etc.
Don't feed your pet from human dishes-this can repulse people who are not pet lovers and can spread disease
Guests may not think it is "cute" when Spot keeps dropping his drool-covered ball on their laps, keeps pawing at their pantyhose, or licks/sniffs at them incessantly so be aware when situations that are normally acceptable to you become annoying to guests.
Make sure that your pets are well trained in simple obedience commands such as come, sit, stay and do not allow animals to ever jump on people
Keep aggressive animals away from guests by boarding or asking guests to stay elsewhere/ offer to split the cost of a hotel room.
For the safety of your pet, warn guests that the cats do not go outside and doors should be closed behind them, and that Fido will make a break for the door, etc.
Don't discipline your dog for it's "normal" behaviors just because a guest is visiting, this is very confusing to the pet.
Keep all mice, hamsters, gerbils, reptiles, and other small pets out of sight, reach, etc. and be sure that they are safely enclosed in their cages, out of drafts, and all of their needs are met (clean cage, food and water available, etc).
Teach children how to safely touch your pet and never leave children unattended with pets-no matter how well you think you know your pet.
Animals need structure and routine in their lives, so try to stick to daily routines (walks, potty breaks, love and play session, etc) as much as possible when company is visiting. This helps your pet feel more secure and happy.
Hopefully these suggestions will help ease the stress of having company to both you and your pet
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