How Pets Absorb Holiday Stress For Their People

The holiday season is often painted as joyful and full of magic, yet for many people it also carries layers of stress, emotional overload, grief, and pressure. Busy schedules, financial concerns, family dynamics, travel, noise, and disrupted routines can quietly build beneath the surface. While people may push through these feelings or try to hold everything together, pets experience the energy very differently.

Pets are deeply intuitive beings. They don’t analyze emotions or label them as stress, sadness, or overwhelm—they simply feel the shifts. Because of their strong emotional and energetic bond with their people, pets often sense changes long before they are spoken out loud. When tension rises, routines change, or emotions run high, pets absorb that energy naturally, often without conscious awareness.

Many pets respond by trying to help. This may show up as staying closer than usual, becoming unusually quiet or clingy, sleeping more, pacing, licking, hiding, or seeming “off” without any clear physical reason. These behaviors are not attention-seeking or misbehavior. They are gentle signals that your pet is responding to the emotional environment around them.

During the holidays, this sensitivity is amplified. There is more stimulation, more emotion, and often a mix of joy and sadness existing at the same time. Even excitement can feel overwhelming to a sensitive pet. For animals who are especially bonded to their people—senior pets, rescued pets, or those with gentle temperaments—the emotional weight of the season can feel heavy. Out of love, many pets quietly take some of that stress into themselves, almost as if saying, “I’ve got you.”

This silent exchange is rooted in devotion. Pets are natural caregivers and protectors, and many will carry emotional energy in an effort to create balance for the people they love. Over time, holding energy that doesn’t belong to them can affect their emotional well-being, behavior, and overall vitality.

Supporting pets during the holidays begins with awareness and presence. When you slow down, even briefly, and acknowledge your own emotional state, your pet feels that shift immediately. Creating calm spaces, keeping familiar routines whenever possible, and offering moments of quiet connection can make a profound difference. Sitting together in stillness, speaking softly, breathing deeply, or simply placing a loving hand on your pet can help release energy they may be holding.

If you feel guided, I have free Healing Meditations for you and your pets available on Insight Timer. These gentle meditations are designed to support calm, balance, and emotional release during stressful times. You can find them here: https://insighttimer.com/asksuelondon

Pets are not meant to carry the stress of the season, even though their love often leads them to try. When we care for ourselves with compassion and gentleness, we create a sense of safety that allows our pets to relax and return to their natural state of balance.

The holidays don’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. When calm, awareness, and love are present, pets no longer feel the need to absorb stress. They can simply be what they were always meant to be-beloved companions, walking beside us, not carrying our burdens.

Wishing you and your pets much love & many blessings,

Sue London

If you feel your pet may be carrying stress or emotional weight, you’re welcome to explore a private session or healing support with me when it feels right.

About Sue London

Sue London is an award-winning Hospice Pet Doula, Pet Healer, Reiki Master, Spiritual Teacher, and Animal Communicator who supports pets and their people through times of stress, transition, and healing. Through her music, meditations, and intuitive guidance, Sue helps create calm, connection, and comfort for both animals and the people who love them.