Holidays and your Pets

Ways you can make the Upcoming Holidays Safer for your Pets 

That being said, nothing can muddy the Christmas cheer like an untimely or unplanned visit to the nearest veterinary clinic. And this is especially if it could have been avoided had we bothered to be a little more careful. Fortunately, however, you have stumbled upon this article just in time to avoid the next disaster. 

1. Normalize keeping your food away from the reach your prized pet 

Here is the thing; not everything that is safe and edible to man is harmless to your pets. Actually, there are some everyday foodstuff that can be potentially toxic and deadly if ingested by your pets. A good example of this is chocolate and some types of raisins. Cats and dogs have been known to develop a near-fatal reaction to the ingestion of chocolate and cookies prepared using chocolate. The same applies to xylitol, aspartame, grapes and other assorted treats. Hence, to minimize the risk of harming your pet inadvertently, get into the habit of keeping any people food well out of the reach of pets. 

2. Keep lighted candles and decorative trees out of the reach of your pets

Avoid leaving your pet alone in a room with lighted candles, potpourris or decorated trees. They may look harmless but all it takes is one clumsy move from the pet for the room to go up in smoke. Also, keep your holiday plants such as mistletoes, lilies, holly, etc. well out of the near reach of your pets. Additionally, remember to leave the tinsel off the Christmas tree if you have a cat in the house. 

3. Provide a safe space for your pet for them to escape the holiday excitement

It’s a good idea to have a safe space for the pet e.g. a kennel, perching place, crate, scratching shelf or just a hiding place where they can go to escape the hullaballoo and excitement that often accompanies festivities. And this is particularly if you have visitors coming over or entertaining guests in your home and you have a highly excitable or scared pet around. You may also consider locking the pet in a spare room for a few hours with their favorite toy whenever visitors come calling. 

Sources: ASPCA, Humane society, Daily Paws