Avoid stressing your pets

Try to keep your animals calm during the holidays.
Having cats and dogs in the house doesn't have to mean smelly carpets and unsightly stains.
There are several ways to keep Fido and Fluffy properly house-trained without having to design a cat or doggy diaper.
Sue Dawson, of Family Pet Center at Countryside in Kinsman, said that if you've got a cat in the house and you want it to practice perfect toilet habits, you must keep its litter box clean.
"If you have one cat, you can probably get away with cleaning the litter box every other day, but if you have more than one cat, you need to clean it every day," she said.
You should also have one litter box for each cat.
"Cat's are finicky about their litter boxes and they might not want to share with another cat," Dawson said.
Reaction to changes
Cats also might get testy if you move their litter box to a different location, change brands of cat litter or do something that upsets them.
"Cats can be difficult. If they don't like something, they will go and pee or poop on the floor to let you know they are upset," Dawson said.
Holiday guests are one thing that can cause upset a cat.
"Cats often act up when there is someone new in the house. The holidays can cause a lot of stress," Dawson said.
Dogs like to chew
Dogs also experience stress due to unfamiliar holiday house guests, but Dawson said dogs are more likely to chew up your favorite shoes than pee on the floor.
"It's often a good idea to board high-strung dogs if your house will be overrun by holiday guests, or you can put the dog in the garage or the basement for a while," Dawson said.
Cats are another story.
"If a cat is particularly shy, let it hide under the bed if it wants to. Don't try to force it out or show it to the guests. That will only upset it more," Dawson said.
An animal's age also plays a part in how well it controls its urine.
"Puppies and older dogs are usually the ones that have trouble controlling themselves," she said. "Puppies are still in training and older dogs might have bladder problems."
If an older dog does not have a bladder infection, Dawson said, a vet can prescribe medication to help it control its urine.