With the holiday schedule in full swing, we have been juggling events, getting the perfect gifts, taking some me time and more. We pretty much have everything thought out. But are we thinking about our pets? How are we ensuring that our four-legged friends are being taken care of when we travel, when we have more people over and how we incorporate them into our holiday cards? We chatted with Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt to get her advice on how she would go about this!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about pet adoption and why that is so important to you?

KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER PRATT: Pet adoption is an incredible gift in my life and has been such a treasure in my life to be able to have rescued my dog Maverick. I was introduced to that world after I graduated from college and I decided to foster some puppies. I had never done that before and my sister and I decided to do that around the holiday in order to help a local rescue organization to take care of some dogs over the holiday season. It was such an incredible experience for me and when I got my final foster puppy, which was Maverick. I had a foster failure as they call it and decided to rescue him and made the decision to adopt him. It’s been such a blessing in my life to be introduced to others as well as the incredible world of animal rescue is a cause that I am really passionate about and feel really lucky to be involved in.

AM: Do you have any advice for pet parents that will be away from home for the holiday season or who will have a lot of people over with their pets there as well? Are there things that they should look out for?

KSP: For sure the comfort and well being of your pet is something to be aware of. Be mindful of the holiday season. A lot of people have others that come to their house and you want to make sure that you have a space where your dog feels comfortable and safe is super important. When you are traveling, be willing to have someone that is trusted and that you know that they will take really good care of your dog. This is also really important. I remember the first time that I was going out of town and I had to leave Maverick, it was really stressful for me. To be able to have someone that you feel really comfortable with and that your dog Is really comfortable with is really important – especially during the holiday season.

AM: What are some gifts or ideas that we should keep in mind when it comes to gifting our pets or giving to someone who has one?

KSP: The amount of outfits that I have my eye on from Petco this holiday season is pretty embarrassing. I love the matching pajamas because I can do a full photoshoot with Maverick under the Christmas Tree. My sister and I have done it ever since our very first Christmas with Maverick. I’m really excited about all of these holiday sweaters that are at Petco. The matching pajamas are going to be something that I think are going to be a huge hit this holiday season. Obviously, they also have these incredible plush toys and treats. There’s a huge wide range of gifts at Petco – but I’m all about that pajama set.

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