Thanksgiving With Pets: Understanding Their Feelings, Ensuring Safety & Respectful Interactions

Thanksgiving brings delicious food, warm memories, and homes full of family and friends. But while we look forward to the celebration, our pets often experience the holiday very differently. New people, unfamiliar scents, shifting schedules, and excited children can feel overwhelming — especially for sensitive or senior pets.

Good health includes helping pets feel emotionally and physically safe in their own homes. Here’s how your dog or cat may be feeling during the holiday season — and how to support them with kindness, respect, and awareness.

How Pets Feel When Guests Are in Their Space

Your home is your pet’s safe zone — a predictable world filled with familiar people, routines, and resting spots. When Thanksgiving guests arrive, even the friendliest pets may feel:

🟤 Overstimulated

More voices, movement, and noise can flood your pet’s senses.

🟤 Uncertain or Anxious

New scents and faces may make them unsure about what’s happening or who’s entering their territory.

🟤 Excited… but Easily Overwhelmed

Some pets love visitors but struggle to regulate their energy, which can quickly shift into stress.

🟤 Protective of Their Space

Changes to their favorite areas or sudden activity near doors, beds, or food can heighten unease.

Offering quiet choices — a bedroom, crate, or cozy corner — helps your pet feel secure when the world around them gets a little too big.

Kid Interactions: Encouraging Safe, Respectful Moments

Thanksgiving gatherings often bring children and pets together — a joyful combination when guided properly.

🟢 Teach Children the “3 Rs” of Respectful Pet Interaction

1. Request Permission Ask the adult and allow the pet to approach first.

2. Respect Space No hugging, chasing, pulling, grabbing, or picking up.

3. Recognize Body Language Turning away, licking lips, yawning, stiffening, or hiding means “Please give me space.”

🟢 Create Kid-Free Pet Zones

Give pets a quiet escape where children aren’t allowed to follow — a simple, effective way to prevent overwhelm.

🟢 Separate High-Energy Moments

Running, yelling, and chasing games can startle pets. Supervise interactions to keep everyone comfortable and safe.

Preventing Escapes: Open-Door Safety During the Holidays

With guests arriving, food being carried in, and people moving in and out, Thanksgiving is one of the highest-risk holidays for lost pets. A few proactive steps can prevent heartbreaking accidents:

🟠 Be Mindful of “Door Dashers”

Many pets seize a distracted moment to slip outside. Assign one adult to be the “door monitor” during busy arrival times.

🟠 Use Physical Barriers

Baby gates, exercise pens, or simply keeping pets in another room while guests come and go adds a crucial layer of protection.

🟠 Check ID Tags, Photos & Microchips

Make sure collars fit properly, take new, clear photos of your pet (focus on any identifying markings) and be sure microchip information is up to date — especially before holiday gatherings.

🟠 Remind Guests Not to Leave Doors Propped Open

Even a few seconds is enough for a curious cat or excited dog to find a way out.

🟠 Keep Leashes Handy

For dogs that need potty breaks during the festivities, attach leashes before opening any door.

Keeping pets safely indoors not only protects them from traffic and cold weather — it protects them from fear, panic, and getting lost in unfamiliar areas.

Ways to Support Your Pet During Thanksgiving

A few simple choices can help your pet feel more in control and less stressed:

✔ Provide a Quiet Retreat

A bed, soft lighting, and calming music help pets decompress.

✔ Maintain Normal Routines

Meals, medications, potty breaks, and walks should stay as predictable as possible.

✔ Offer Enrichment

Puzzle feeders, lick mats, and safe chew items can redirect nervous energy.

✔ Use Fear Free Tools

Pheromone diffusers, safe hideaways, and thoughtful handling can make a big difference.

✔ Keep Human Food Away

Turkey skin, bones, gravy, onions, and desserts can cause serious illness. Offer only pet-safe treats.

Thanksgiving Is Happier When Pets Feel Safe, Respected & Protected

Our pets rely on us to advocate for them — especially during hectic, unpredictable moments. When we pay attention to their emotions, provide safe spaces, supervise interactions, and protect them from escape risks, we create a holiday that’s calmer for everyone.

From our family to yours, we wish you a peaceful, joyful, and grateful Thanksgiving surrounded by love, comfort, and wagging tails. 🧡🐾