With Christmas fast approaching, the countdown is on to the big day. Lots of homes have already put up their Christmas decorations. But, with all the fun and excitement, your pet might be disrupted from their normal routine with extra decorations, wrapping and celebrations during the festive season.
For some pets, particularly puppies and kittens, this might be the first time they have experienced snow, lights, or Christmas trees with all their sparkly decorations. These ‘pretty’ things can make pets curious to explore which can result in mischief and potential accidents that can be harmful.
Keep your dogs and other pets safe in the run up to Christmas with some of our top tips:
Artificial and Real Christmas Trees
A staple when celebrating Christmas, every household tends to have at least one Christmas tree. Both artificial and real Christmas trees come with risks, so it’s good to be mindful when decorating your tree.
Try to position your tree somewhere your pet might not spend much time. Make sure your tree is secure with a sturdy stand in case your pets get too excited around it! If you have a smaller tree, then place it somewhere high such as a shelf or table. If you’re going for a full size, artificial tree, keep an eye on your pet when they’re in the same room; those branches, baubles and sweet decorations are sometimes too hard to resist!
We recommend putting your less precious decorations at the bottom of the tree, in case any get broken accidentally.
Real fir Christmas trees have very sharp needles which can shed and get into paws, so be sure to vacuum or sweep them away regularly. Try to not let your pet have a drink out of the water your tree is sitting in, we don’t want any upset tummies on the run up to Christmas.
Advent Calendar and Edible Gifts
Keep your chocolate advent calendars and edible gifts away from your pets. Pets have a super strong sense of smell that can sniff out foods and end up munching on things that they shouldn’t!
Christmas Lights:
Pretty, sparkly lights that are both indoor and outdoor can be mesmerising to pets. Try to keep lights out of the way of pets and stop them if they try to have a cheeky nibble, we don’t want any electric shocks!
Candles
Try not to leave candles unattended. Keep them well out of reach and if you have an open fire, place a fire guard around it, pets can easily burn or singe themselves when near a naked flame!
Wrapping Paper:
Every house has an abundance of wrapping paper on the morning of mayhem! Some pets love rustling and chewing wrapping paper, so make sure you clear it all away as you go along.
*Image Dobbies Garden Centre
