When decorating our homes with the splendor of the holidays, keep in mind what your pets will see everything as a new toy and will they want to play with everything.
Cats love the shininess of tinsel and love to play with shiny, soft things. Tinsel is dangerous though for cats….and dogs because if ingested, they can cause digestive issues and blockages, vomiting, dehydration and possibly surgery. So if you have cats in the house, it may be better to leave the tinsel at the store.
Some decorative holiday plants can be very tempting but are toxic if a pet eats them. Hang Mistletoe and place holly and ivy plants out of the reach of your pets or use the silk or plastic varieties.
Never leave candles burning unattended. The flames and shadows thrown by candles are very tantalizing to pets so make sure lit candles are always kept a safe distance from them. Keep candles in unreachable places or keep the candles where you can watch them so our pets don’t bump into and accidentally burn themselves or your stuff.
Keep weighty ornaments close to the floor so if they fall, they won’t break but train your pets not to touch them. Keep valuable ornaments and family heirlooms out of reach from those curious mouths, noses and wagging tails. Also keep knick-knacks on shelves inaccessible to animals.
Keep all wires out of reach and tied together to prevent electrical shock and burns if your pets bite them. Keep ornaments and fragile decorations out of the reach of our pets so they cannot fall and break into dangerous shards that could cut or scratch curious paws and noses.
If your pet does ingest something that you fear may be poisonous, contact the Poison Control Center immediately. More info on this center can be found on the ASPCA Poison Control website page. Check this page out before there is an emergency so you are aware of what to do if there ever is one.
