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It’s the most festive time of the year and we bet your inner Kris Kringle is bursting to come out and spread the cheer! There are so many amazing little things to look forward to during this holiday season, especially all the food, decorations and spending time with your family and friends. Your pets will particularly be looking forward to having you home and being included in all the fun and festivities.
Here are a few handy tips for an inclusive holiday season with your pets:
🪅. Keep the decorations out of your pet’s reach: Tinsel and baubles can look like attractive toys to your pet, but can be harmful if consumed.
🎄 Tips for Christmas tree setup: If you are buying a Christmas tree, consider setting up the tree without decorations initially. When your cat or dog tries to come close, teach them to keep away from it until they’ve understood that it’s off-limits. If you have cats, you can also spray the tree with citrus spray or any odour-free cat repellent spray.
- Secure decorations firmly to ensure it’s not easy for your cheeky pets to swoop anything off.
- Be vigilant with wires and lighting. Secure your tree lights to the base of the tree and tape the plug to the socket. It might be a good idea to turn off the lights when you go to sleep or when leaving the house.
- Keep your tree isolated from furniture that your pet (particularly cats) can climb on and launch themselves onto your tree, such as windows, couches or shelves.
- If possible try and anchor your tree to the wall or use a firm base. Preferably keep it in a room that has doors to keep your pet out when you aren’t there. Use a tree skirt to hide the base and any dangling wires.
- Keep your pets enrichment toys nearby and divert their attention every time they try and make their way to your tree.
🦮 Prepare your pet for parties: Before your guests arrive, take your dog for an extra-long walk so that they burn enough energy and enjoy some downtime when your party starts. It is probably a good idea to keep them in another room with enrichment activities so that they don’t get too overwhelmed by a busy house. Make sure you let your guests know what the rules are for your pet, especially which areas are off-limits and what food is okay to share with them.
🧁 Lock away the Chrissy treats: It’s probably best to keep them away from the sinful indulgences on your kitchen counter. Chocolate in particular can be harmful to pets.
🗑 Hide the trash: Make sure you immediately dispose-off leftovers and trash bags to ensure pets don’t rip through them and get to the food. Particularly after big parties or BBQs. Corn cobs or cooked bones can be harmful to pets.
However, that doesn’t mean your pets can’t get their own holiday treat station! ! 🧁 Check out PetRescue team member Bella's recipe for a fun doggie treat.
🕯 Keep lit candles out of your pets reach: Use candleholders wherever necessary and keep lit candles at a safe distance from your pet, ensuring that they can’t knock them over or get hurt.
🪴 Avoid harmful seasonal plants: Plants like mistletoe and holly can be harmful to pets and cause a number of problems such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach problems. Here’s a handy list of pet-safe plants for your house.
Pets can be quite good around decorations if they are slowly introduced to them and sufficiently distracted. So don’t worry! Spending quality time with your pet is one of the best things about the holidays so make sure you carve out time to make them feel special whenever possible!
More advice and tips for a pet-safe festive season:
Why chocolates aren’t good for your pets
Did you know cats can’t taste sweets?
Banner image: Jessica Lewis via pexels
