Keeping Pets Safe This Christmas

With Christmas literally just weeks away, it's that time of the year when things start to get a little busier around the home as preparation for the festivities really get under way. It's when trees start getting put up, poinsettias are placed on windowsills and other decorations placed around the house which sets the mood for the fun days that lie ahead.

It's also a time when pets sometimes get overlooked simply because there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done so it's important to make time to spend with a cat, dog or other small animal so they don't feel left out of all the excitement. However, making sure a pet is safe during the build up to Christmas is just as important as making sure they are happy and relaxed on the day itself.

It goes without saying that all dog owners know about the dangers certain foods represent to their pets. Cat owners realise that specific plants and Christmas decorations can be a real danger to their feline friends and people who own small pets like hamsters, guinea pigs and other little creatures know that keeping them safe in a nice quiet environment and not forgotten is essential over the festive period.

Lock Away All Food Containing Sultanas and Raisins!

The chances are that your kitchen cupboards will be full of dried nuts and fruit as well as Christmas cake and other festive goodies all of which contain ingredients like raisins and sultanas, both of which are extremely poisonous to our canine friends. If you share your home with a dog and they have learned how to open kitchen and other storage cupboards, it's worth making sure that any Christmas goodies that contain anything that will make them very sick are hidden away in a cupboard they would not be able to open. If necessary, you could consider placing a bolt or a lock on the cupboard just to be sure because if your four-legged friend did eat anything that contain dried fruit like raisins and sultanas it could seriously spoil Christmas for the whole family.

Cleaning the House Ready for Christmas

Christmas is the time of the year when family and friends get together to celebrate the festive season and the chances are this is the only time during the year they get to see each other. This means getting the house ready and clean for when all the visitors start to arrive and as everyone knows, cleaning the kitchen and the rest of a home takes a lot of time and effort. This is when people often forget to put tops back on cleaning products which if knocked over and your pet steps in the liquid could be a recipe for disaster. A dog or a cat would lick the product off their paws and once ingested, they could get very sick and need emergency veterinary attention. In short, you have to be extra careful and not rush things making sure you put all the cleaning products you've used safely away in a cupboard with their lids firmly on and not to leave any opened bottles lying around.

Make Sure The Christmas Tree is Tied Down

If you share your home with a new kitten or a young cat and want your Christmas tree and your furry friend to stay safe during the festive season, think about securing the tree so it can't be pull it over if your cat tries to climb up it or grab one of the decorations. Some kittens and young cats just cannot resist playing with all those shiny baubles which could end up smashing on the ground and causing them an injury. As such, it's best to stick with unbreakable tree decorations if you share your home with a feline friend.

Keep Alcohol Safely Away From Pets

The chances are you've been stocking up on alcohol for Christmas and this includes bottles of tasty and sweet eggnog otherwise known as Advocaat to name but one of the usual festive drinks commonly found in many a home at Christmas time. Tasty drinks like this present a real danger to pets because they might just decide to take a sip or two out of a spilled drink which would do them no good at all. It could end up with an expensive trip to the vet when you should be celebrating the festive season.

Conclusion

Keeping pets safe during the build up to the festive season is of the utmost importance. Christmas is a fun time when people have lots to do whether it's decorating their homes, cleaning the house ready for when visitors start to arrive and being out and about more often on those all-important Christmas shopping trips. It's a time when pets often get a little bit forgotten albeit for a short time which can make them feel a little left out. It's important to make time for your pet during Christmas and to include them in the festivities. However, you also need to make sure they don't eat anything they shouldn't or get into a dangerous situation with an electrical cord or tree decoration!