Making National Dress Up Your Pet Day a paw-sitive experience

This weekend offers an opportunity for pet owners to celebrate their furry friends with a little extra attention and pampering on National Dress Up Your Pet Day. To make the Jan. 14 holiday a positive experience for participating pets, Harmony Diers, a veterinary technician at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explains ways to ensure pets are comfortable wearing clothes. When choosing an ensemble for dogs and cats, owners should take into consideration three things: mobility of your pet in the outfit, clothing materials, and weather appropriateness. For mobility, owners should look for costumes and clothing items that allow pets to move about freely and see clearly. For example, costumes that are too tight will restrict movement, and costumes that are too loose can cause pets to get tangled or trip.