Pets and Holiday Safety
With everything that goes into making the holidays special it's easy to get overwhelmed and let things slip through the cracks. When it comes to our pets though, it's important to keep their safety in mind. All it takes is a little bit of planning and preparation to keep your pets safe during the holidays, and here are a few tips to help get you started.
- Stabilize your Christmas tree by tying it to a railing or even a hook in the ceiling. Cats are notorious for climbing trees, inside or out, and even the smallest cat may be able to knock a tree down, causing broken ornaments and/or furniture, electrical problems and more. Tying your tree in place will make it harder for a pet to tip over.
- If possible, put your Christmas tree in a room you can close or block your pets out of when you go to bed or leave your house. If that's not possible, put all ornaments and lights up high enough that your pets won't be able to get to them.
- Christmas tree water can make your pets sick, so be sure to block the tree stand if you use a real tree. An e-collar works great for this purpose. It can be wrapped around the base of the tree, including the water pan. Then to hide it, wrap a sheet or tree skirt around it.
- Don't use tinsel, especially if you have cats. Most cats will swallow tinsel, which can cause obstructions in the intestines and become a life-threatening situation.
- Poinsettias, mistletoe, and other plants are poisonous to pets and should be kept out of their reach.
- Unplug holiday lights when you're not around to supervise your pets. Just turning them off isn't good enough - unplug them. Even when the lights are off pets can become interested in the cords and the lights themselves, and bite or chew them. (Remember the charred cat in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?)
- Keep lit candles in a place where your pets cannot get near them.
- Be sure any outdoor decorations are out of reach of any outdoor pets.
- If your community celebrates the new year with fireworks, be sure your pet is inside. Fireworks frighten many pets and if they're outside they may get out of their yard in an attempt to escape the noise.
- Keep the holiday treats out of your pets' reach. You may not like Grandma's fruit cake, but your dog may think it's the next best thing to raw meaty bones! Anything containing chocolate, sugar, artificial sweetener, and many of the foods we gain weight on during the holidays can be very bad for your pets.
- If you have a party during the holidays, make sure your pets have a secure place to be away from your guests. A bedroom with soft music is ideal. However, if your pets are social and want to be around your guests, make sure everyone knows not to feed your pets. It's also a good idea to use a baby gate or some other barrier at your front door so your pets don't get out as your guests come and go.
- If you're leaving for the holidays and a pet sitter or someone else will be caring for your pets be sure to put any decorations away that may be dangerous. Keep in mind that even the most well behaved pets may get bored and get into things they normally wouldn't get into if you were around.
Ultimately the main thing to do is to think twice about how and where you use your holiday decorations. While you and the kids may admire them as the most beautiful things on earth, your pets may have a different idea. Sure, they may think they're wonderful, but instead of standing back to admire everything, they'll probably want to get up close and personal. This means your pets will investigate everything with their nose, mouth, and paws which can result in injuries and/or illness. So, as you deck the halls, look at your decorations carefully and consider how your pet may react to them. If you think something may be a potential danger, think twice about using it, or whether it might even be best to pack it up in a box and put it back in the attic.
Sometimes even the best preparations don't prevent accidents from happening, and this goes for any time of the year, not just during the holidays. So, to save time if there is an accident, keep your veterinarian's phone number handy and know where the nearest emergency animal clinic is located. You'll also want to keep the number of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, 888-426-4435. Write all the info down and tape it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet, so it's easy to find.
With a little bit of planning you and your pets should be able to breeze through the holidays safely and have a wonderful time.
Happy Holidays to you and your pets!
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