Tis’ the season for tasty treats, fancy decorations, and holiday cheer. As much as we relish in the joy of the holiday season, it is imperative to bear in mind that some of our favorite customs and mouth-watering recipes may not be so favorable for our beloved furry friends. In light of this, let’s delve into the matter of pet holiday safety and explore the do’s and don’ts for this time of year.
As much as we all love to decorate our homes with holiday lights, candles, or Christmas trees, these things could be potentially dangerous to your pets. It’s always best to decorate with your pet’s safety in mind.
Examples could be :
- Replacing fire-lit candles with battery operated candles
- Unplugging your Christmas lights while you are away from home
- Keeping breakable items out of reach of jumping kitties or wagging tails
As much as we love to gift and receive beautiful plants during seasons gatherings, many popular Christmas plants are very toxic to animals, plants including :
- Holly
- Mistletoe
- Poinsettia
- Various Christmas trees
- Ivy
- Lillies
Instead of having or gifting real plants, a great option is to take a look at pet safe plants such as spider plants or ferns. If not you can always find fake versions of the real deal holiday plants at this time of year.
Lastly, holiday cooking and baking. While many of us love a homemade Christmas dinner with all the fixings, it’s best not to share your plate with your fur baby. Many ingredients from your holiday meals are not healthy or could be toxic to pets.
Toxic foods include the following:
- Gravy
- Stuffing
- Any seasonings
- Fatty foods such as bacon or ham
- Onions
- Garlic
- Macadamia nuts
- Walnuts
- Seasoned potatoes or other vegetables
- Cranberry sauce
- Chocolate or any kind of candies
Don’t worry, there are ways to have your pet celebrate Christmas dinner with you. In small amounts, your pet can have safe food items such as unseasoned and cooked potatoes, broccoli, and carrots or unseasoned and deboned turkey.
We hope these tips and tricks help make your holiday special for you and your furry loved ones. At this happy time of year, we wish that you and your canine or feline companions have a wonderful and safe holiday season.
Happy Holidays From TagsforHope!