How to Make Sure Your Pets Have a Safe and Merry Christmas
The past year has felt like it went by in a flash, and we’re sure that everyone is looking forward to some holiday cheer. While most Christmas traditions are harmless to us humans, they can sometimes present dangers to our pets. Nobody wants to interrupt their Christmas with an emergency visit to the vet, so today we’re bringing you some tips to make sure that your pets are safe and sound while you celebrate.
The first order of business is to secure your tree. Our pets can be inquisitive, and some of them can tip the scales at over 100 pounds—easily big enough to move and tip over a poorly-secured tree. One good idea is to put the tree in a corner where it’s more easily supported.
Another tip is to make sure that your pets can’t access the tree water (if you opt for a real tree). Not only can it make a mess of presents and the surrounding area if it’s spilled, tree water often has pesticides, fertilizers, and assorted other nasty things that you don’t want your pet to ingest.
As for tree decorations, you may want to hang them higher up the tree to ensure that they can’t be reached by curious pets. Tinsel may look beautiful, but it does not play well with an animal’s digestive system. Breakable decorations absolutely must be out of reach, and it’s a good idea not to use them if possible.
If necessary, you can simply put a fence or pet barrier around the tree to keep it and your pets safe—we like this option because it’s the simplest and requires the least adjustment overall.
Ceiling decorations are generally safe, so long as they’re secured properly. Areas around windows and high furniture such as bookcases can be left unadorned, as cats can be curious enough to try to play with any decorations in these areas.
Traditional Christmas greenery such as holly, mistletoe, and ivy can cause irritation or digestive distress—use these sparingly, if at all, and keep them as far away from pets as possible. You can opt to use a pet repellant on these to ensure that curiosity does not get the better of your pet.
Potpourris and can contain some ingredients that, while not outright toxic to pets, may still cause intestinal upset and vomiting if consumed in large enough quantities. There are a variety of recipes so it’s impossible to say—and even then, the mere fact that it’s a fragrance bomb can spur your pet to start investigating. Best to keep these well out of reach.
One last thing that can harm your pet is loneliness and a lack of attention. It’s quite common to have to juggle many different responsibilities during this time of the year, and it may be your pet that gets left behind.
As great as it would be to have our favorite four-legged companions beside us 24/7, the reality is it’s often just not possible, what with other responsibilities, obligations, and surprise emergency situations that eventually come up. For any situation where you can’t watch your pet for a while, Pet Nanny offers the highest quality pet-sitting services for great, affordable prices. From dog-walking to cat-feeding, we can do it all. Give us a call at 734-981-6108 or use our online contact form and we will be in touch with you shortly.
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