How to Prepare for House Guests With Pets

When you have a friend or relative come to visit, and they plan on bringing another guest (their family pet) you could be in for a change in environment. But, if you plan ahead, their visit can be enjoyable for the pet owners, the pet and the host.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Read up on the type of pet your guest is bringing. Nothing will prepare you better for the visit than knowledge. Doing a little homework will give you a bit of insight into habits, diet and other requirements of the pet and minimize surprises.
2. Ask your guests ahead of time what all they will be bringing with for their pet, and what they will need when they arrive at your home. Normally, if your guests are polite enough to ask permission to bring their pet, they're courteous enough to take care of its needs. Still, a good host will help out. Food dishes, litter boxes, litter, treats and an extra leash are all good things to have on hand.
3. Prepare yourself for accidents. A good guest will do their best to take care of their pet while on the road, but accidents can happen. Stock your cleaning cabinet with old rags, carpet cleaner and air freshener.
4. Try to include the pet. Even if you have non-stop plans for your guests, they still can't ignore their pet. Making an effort to include the pet--whether it's time outside for the pet to run, a trip to the park or morning walks -- will help keep the animal closer to his regular routine and out of trouble.
5. "Pet-proof" your house by moving plants, breakables and other potential messes higher off the ground. You might have to put things in the closet for the weekend, or into a room the pet won't be allowed to go into.
6. Know when to draw the line. Most pet owners are conscientious, but if your distant relatives unexpectedly bring a slobbering dog and lets her run all over your house, don't feel bad about asking them to take the dog to a kennel, or at least provide outdoor accommodations.

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