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From Country Living

For some pet owners, dressing up dogs and cats at Christmas in novelty outfits has become an annual tradition. But do they actually enjoy it or is it causing them additional stress?

According to the experts at Cats Protection, owners should avoid dressing up their cats as it can heighten their levels of anxiety — and means they can't act normally.

Speaking to Country Living, a spokesperson from Cats Protection said: "We strongly advise against dressing up cats at Christmas as it can cause them stress. Putting cats into clothes restricts their natural movement and makes them less able to express normal behaviour, such as grooming."

Christmas can be a particularly stressful time for our pets already, without the added fuss of novelty outfits. From crowded spaces to loud noises and unfamiliar faces, our four-legged friends don't cope very well with the change Christmas brings.

It's not just clothing the experts advise you to avoid: any accessories, such as antlers, elf ears, hats and bows can also cause discomfort to our pets — and it's certainly not worth the cute snap many share across social media.

Photo credit: Westend61 - Getty Images

Last year, the RSPCA also told owners to step away from dressing up their pets for the festive season. Dr Samantha Gaines from the RSPCA told The Telegraph: "Dogs use signals to tell us what they're feeling, they use their ears, their tails, body positions and their eyes.

"If we start to cover those up it makes it very difficult for them to communicate with us and other dogs. The RSPCA's general position is not to put costumes on dogs."

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