Avoiding Holiday Mishaps with Pets

If you want to avoid coming home to a Christmas tree that's horizontal rather than vertical (see image), read on. This blog entry contains some warnings and tips related to pet safety during the holidays.

Decorations

Trees and poinsettia and tinsel - oh my! Much of the stuff we spread around to create an atmosphere of holiday cheer is potentially dangerous to pets. Your cat may ignore the stuff that's been hanging on the walls all year but suddenly there's new and exciting décor to explore!

Take the extra time to anchor your Christmas tree so that it cannot fall when your pets wrestle or bat at the ornaments (again, see photo). Cover the access to the tree's water supply. Why cats like this so much? I'm not sure, but it's not an ideal water source for them. Tinsel, poinsettias, and mistletoe are likewise harmful if ingested.

The added hazards of additional electrical cords and candles can be dangerous for everyone, not just pets. Keep them out of the way if possible and if it's not, keep your pet away.

Edibles

If you're like my beagle then you probably think everything's edible, but this section will cover food, specifically. Most people are aware of the fact that dogs and chocolate don't mix. The theobromine contained in chocolate is hazardous to pets' health, especially the concentration in that dark chocolate fudge. (Just ask the beagle - she's gone three rounds with chocolate, all of which were unpleasant and expensive.) There is a long, long list of other foods to avoid, too.

Essentially, do not allow your pet to indulge in foods that are out of the ordinary just because it's the holidays. Stick to the basics, with the right treats and bones, of course avoiding the many kinds that have been recalled.

If the temptation to counter-surf that holiday feast is too great, keep your pet in a crate or other safe place for the duration of the festivities. Provide toys and bones to help prevent boredom from taking over and leading to unwanted behaviors like chewing a hole in the door to escape.

Guests

Speaking of tempting food, sometimes your guests may feel tempted to feed it to a pet because he or she is "so cute" or "so well-behaved." In my house this cannot be tolerated because one dog has so many food allergies. Whenever we're near the food I warn new guests against feeding the dogs.

Be very firm about this - if you seem wishy-washy on the topic then guests might not listen. If they feed the dogs anyway, be clear about what they've done and why it's wrong, and remove the pet from the situation. In cases such as this, I put my pets into their crates or into another room with treats in a Kong to keep them busy.

Some visitors may not want to get near enough to your pet to feed it. Allergies, fears, and excited pets can be an unwanted combination. Relatives that are allergic to cats, for example, don't want yours rubbing against legs and jumping into laps. Be respectful of your guests and keep pets away during the visit.

Consider those that are afraid of your excited dog that begins jumping all over visitors when they arrive. Keep pets away from the entrance and release them after the humans are done saying their hellos. They're likely to be calmer when the people are, too.

Many guests ask whether the cat can go out before opening the door; some do not. If you're concerned about a pet escaping this is another reason that he or she should not be attending the party.

While most of these tips are common sense, the big takeaway should be not to forget about your pet in your flurry of unwrapping. He or she may not understand holiday etiquette or be able to read the name tags on the gifts. Have patience and be safe. Happy holidays to all!

Related Reading: Winter Wear for Dogs; Gift Ideas for Animal Lovers; Five Gift Ideas for Pet People; On Dasher, On Dancer - Who's Really Pulling Santa's Sleigh?

Resources: AAHA - Holiday Pet Hazards; ASPCA - Holiday Safety Tips