Dr. Trudie Prinsloo is a qualified veterinarian and attorney. In 2015, she started Legalvet Services to provide legal advice to the animal and veterinary industries in South Africa – and now she's teamed up with us to tell us how to manage stress and excitement in our pets over the festive season and what legal implications it could have for us if a pet causes harm to someone else.
While Dr. Prinsloo is a qualified veterinarian, she cannot advise on behavioural problems remotely. This blog is intended for informational purposes only and should in no way be regarded as a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnoses, or treatment plans.
dotsure.co.za is not responsible or liable for any advice or any other information provided herein. If you are concerned about your pet’s behaviour, the best course of action is to consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.
For most of us, the festive season is a wonderful break from our normal routines. It is a time to have fun, invite family and friends over, go out to visit people and new places and do all the things we normally don't have time to do. Pets are part of the family and changing your daily routine naturally has an impact on their daily routines too. They love having you around more, but a change in your pet’s routine can cause unwanted behavioural reactions towards visitors and strangers. Here is a quick guide to help you manage this. There is also a summary of the legal implications you may face if your pet causes harm to visitors.
Managing the activities that cause stress and over-excitement in pets:
Going away on holiday and leaving pets behind
Leaving pets behind when you go away on holiday is undoubtedly a very stressful event for them. You should never leave them at home unattended for longer than a few hours. Depending on your situation, it is often best to arrange for a good pet sitter to take care of them while you are away. It is not enough just to arrange for someone to feed your pets and give them water. They still need the attention, stimulation, and exercise that they are used to.
Someone who can stay in your house and “take your place” while you are away, is usually the best solution. The pet sitter should be introduced to your pets and spend some time with them before you go away. This will not only ensure that your pets are comfortable with the person, but also allow you an opportunity to see if your pets and the pet sitter will get along. If it is not possible to arrange for a pet sitter, taking your pets to a kennel is another solution. Do your homework and make sure that you take them to a reputable kennel. Make your bookings well in advance to make sure there is place for your pets. Your pets must be fully vaccinated and may require a health check from a veterinarian, so plan well to ensure everything is in place if your pets must board at a kennel.
Going away on holiday and taking your pets with
Some pets love traveling with their human families, but others don’t travel well or feel insecure in unfamiliar environments. If you take your pets on holiday, make very sure that the places you visit are truly pet-friendly. Even if they allow pets, they might for example expect dogs to be kept on leashes at all times and that will be stressful for a dog that is used to running around freely. Also, make sure that your pets will be allowed to take part in your activities such as going on hikes with you. If pets cannot be with you and must be locked up in strange places, it will be very stressful for them and can cause serious behavioural problems. They can hurt themselves in the process, cause damage to the place or become frustrated and aggressive.
For pets that suffer from motion sickness, it is necessary to get preventative medication from your vet and make sure that you do not feed them at least four hours before traveling. Frequent stops for pets on a road trip are essential and this should be factored into your traveling time. Please make sure that your pets are secure and safe when they travel with you.
Staying home with visiting family and friends
Most well-socialised dogs will enjoy visitors to your home, but the increased activities and excitement can be stressful for dogs with anxiety or other behavioural problems. Dogs that are old, or ill also need more rest and will experience many visitors as a stressful event. Few cats will enjoy the increased number of visitors to their home and generally, cats will experience this as a very stressful situation.
To minimize the stress levels for your pets when you have many and frequent visitors, you can do the following:
- Start socializing puppies and kittens when they are young and as soon as you get them. Don’t wait until they are older and when they already have issues.
- Be prepared and plan before your visitors arrive. Know your visitors and understand how they interact with pets. Some people may fear pets, while young children who are not used to pets, may chase, and stress your pets. Knowing this in advance can help you decide how to deal with the situation.
- Keep the pet’s routine as normal as possible. Make sure your pets are still fed at their normal feeding times and places. If you leave food out for your cats, make sure that they can safely access it, and know where to find it. When feeding your dogs, make sure that they are fed in a peaceful place without other pets and people interfering. Even a loving dog might feel threatened if a visitor suddenly walks past his food bowl while he is eating, and this could lead to dog bite incidents.
- Exercise your dogs before visitors arrive so that they are calm and relaxed by the time the visitors come. This is especially helpful for younger pets with lots of energy.
- Make sure your visitors know what is allowed and what is not concerning your pets. While some people may not like it, it is important that your visitors know that there are rules for your pets in the house and that they should stick to the rules too.
- If you are going to allow your pets to interact with your visitors, introduce your visitors and pets to each other. This might sound silly, but pets are very quick to pick up from you who are welcome and who can bet rusted. By doing this, you will put your pets at ease and make their interactions with your visitors less stressful.
- Create a safe place with and toys and chews for your pets if necessary. If your pet does not like strangers, or if your visitors fear pets, or if children are visiting who do not know how to interact with pets, it might be best to lock your pets away in a room or a part of the garden for the few hours that your friends are visiting. This will be far better for your pets, and it might also prevent children from being bitten by animals that are not used to them.
- Keep pets away from direct noise. Pets hear far better than we do, therefore loud music and other noises can be very stressful for them. Do not forget the smaller pets such as birds, hamsters, or reptiles kept in cages. Move them away to a quiet part of the house before visitors arrive.
- If you know that your pet will struggle to cope with the changes, you can also talk to your veterinarian about products that will assist to reduce their stress levels. Your veterinarian might prescribe medication in certain cases, but there are also products such as calming collars on the market that are safe and can be very helpful in some situations.
- Keep the environment safe for pets. Think about doors and gates that are normally closed that may now be left open, or swimming pool covers that are taken off. Consider the potential dangers that your Christmas tree and decorations hold in for your pets. Cats find it hard to resist a Christmas tree, and if the tree is not secured, it can lead to injuries to your pet or even to your visitors.
Legal implications of your pets causing damage to visitors
Nobody wants to think about this when planning a festive holiday. The thought that your beloved pet might injure a family member or friend and the consequences of that is something that most people would rather ignore. But being aware that it can happen and knowing what the consequences could be, can help you to avoid such extremely unpleasant situations.
In South African law, pet owners are strictly liable for damages caused by their pets. This means that even if a pet owner is not at fault, he or she will be liable for any damages suffered by someone through the actions of his or her pet. This will include payment for damage to the person’s property, for medical expenses if a person was injured, and even for loss of income if the person’s injuries are severe enough. Apart from avoiding dangerous situations with proper planning and management of visitors and pets, you should also make sure you have third-party liability insurance that will provide insurance cover in such situations.
Apart from the liability that pet owners have, the Animal Matters Amendment Act, No. 42 of 1993 makes it a criminal offense for the owner whose pet causes injury or death to another person through negligence or willful conduct of the owner of the animal. If a person is convicted of this charge, it may lead to a fine or even imprisonment of the pet owner.
Remember that your pets are an integral part of your family when you make plans for this festive season. By accommodating your pets’ needs you will ensure a pleasant festive season with happy pets and happy people. I wish you a very blessed festive season and a wonderful 2022!
