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The holidays can be stressful for your pets. You may see a change in behavior such as urinating outside the litter box or soiling the carpet from something as simple as the rearranged furniture (to accommodate the Christmas tree) or a houseful of family and friends (that may be strangers to your pet). |
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Be sure your pet has a safe, quiet place where they can retreat if the holiday festivities become overwhelming. |
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Common holiday plants such as poinsettias, mistletoe, holly berries, and lilies are poisonous to cats and dogs and can even be fatal. |
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Watch out for chewing on extension cords. Tape down wiring that could electrocute your pet. |
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Place candles in those places where your pets cannot knock them over and are burned or walk by a get their tails caught on fire. |
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Be sure your tree in on a wide flat base so it will not tip over onto your pet. Your cat may think the tree is a perfect scratching post so be sure it is secured to a wall or ceiling |
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Do not let your pets drink from the Christmas tree water. It may contain fertilizer or stagnant water bacteria that will upset your pet’s digestive tract.. |
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Place tinsel (if you must use it) and small ornaments way up on the tree so your pets do not ingest them. Objects can be lodged in the intestines or cause choking hazards. |
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Do not feed your pets people food. Their digestive systems cannot handle dietary changes and they are usually already stressed which cause intestinal can upset. Bones can splinter and cause punctures. Some chocolate can be poisonous depending on the amount ingested. |
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Please think twice before giving a pet as a gift this holiday season. With all the commotion of the holidays, it just is not a good time to try to introduce a new puppy or kitten to the household. Wait until after the holidays to bring in the new member of the family. Perhaps a gift box with a stuffed animal on a leash with a collar and a note saying a new puppy is on its way to your house or wrap a litter box, cat toys, and a bag of kitty food with a note saying a kitten will soon be joining the family. After the holidays, a family outing to find just the right pet can be a great start to the New Year. |
