The happiest time of the year is right around the corner, and with that comes decorating and holiday cheer. Unfortunately, many of our favorite Christmas staples are hazardous to our pets. However, there are ways to keep your home merry and bright without putting your four-legged family member at risk. Here are three ways to keep your home pet-friendly this holiday season.
Christmas Trees
What’s Christmas without a beautiful evergreen (or at least an artificial version). This holiday season, keep your pet safe without compromising on your favorite Christmas decoration by making some minor adjustments to your tree. Pets are known to climb or knock down trees, leading to potential injuries and a giant mess. This holiday season, consider securely fastening your tree to avoid accidents by tying it to your ceiling or nearby door frame.
Ornaments
Ornaments resemble toys for pets. As such, pets often make their way over to them in an attempt to play. This can be dangerous as many ornaments are made of glass and can shatter and injure your pet. Furthermore, ornaments can cause intestinal obstructions when ingested or make your pet very ill if they are made from salt-dough. This holiday season, be mindful of your ornament choices and keep a watchful eye on your pets when they are around your tree. Consider gating your tree with a baby gate or keeping doors to decorated rooms closed when you are not around to supervise.
Festive Plants
Amaryllis, cedar, poinsettias, balsam, and mistletoe are all our festive plant go-tos. However, these flowers and plants can be highly toxic to pets when ingested. If your pet eats one of these plants, it can result in an emergency veterinary visit that can be life-threatening. If you choose to purchase these festive additions for your home, be sure to keep them in an area far out of your pet’s reach.
Even with careful decorating, accidents can happen. Keep the number of your local emergency animal hospital close by to get the care you need in the event of sudden injuries or illnesses.