Pet Safety Tips During the Holiday Season

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted people to add new family members by adopting or buying new pets. We hope that all are loved and cared for well after this pandemic exits our lives. 

Now with the holidays upon us, and stay-at-home-orders being stressed, households across the country are seeking holiday cheer to get their minds off the pandemic and bring joy into their homes. They are finding this through holiday decorating inside and outside. 

All the shiny glitz makes our fur babies all too curious. In an effort to help keep your pets safe this holiday season we welcome you to check out these 10 pet safety tips recommended by PetMD: 

Photo by TatyanaGI

1. Tree Placement: Place your holiday tree in a corner. To keep your cat from jumping onto the tree, place aluminum foil around the base to warn you of an impending tree disaster. 

2. Tinsel: Hang tinsel out of your pet's reach or, for the best safety, simply don't use it. Ingesting tinsel can block their intestines, which is generally only remedied through surgical means. 

3. Lights: Avoid lights on the tree's lower branches. Pets can get tangled in them, and can also cause burns if they become entangled. Additionally, biting the wires can shock your fur babies. 

4. Ornaments: Avoid small ornaments and hang ornaments out of reach. In addition, keep track of wire hooks. These can cause choking and intestinal blockage and may injure paws, mouths or other parts of your pet's body. 

5. Living Trees: Keep the area around the tree free and clear of pine needles. While they may not seem dangerous, they can cause stomach upset and can irritate or puncture your pet's intestines if ingested. Also to avoid a toppling tree, consider securing to the wall or ceiling with invisible wire. 

6. Holly & Mistletoe: Are poisonous to dogs and cats. Keep in an area your pet cannot reach. Poinsettias are also not a great idea, as they can cause nausea and vomiting if ingested. For an alternative consider using silk plants. 

7. Edible Decorations: Popcorn strings and what not are disasters waiting to happen and can be choking hazards. Pets will surely tug at them and possibly knock down your wonderfully decorated tree. So do without them or hang em high. 

8. Candles: Place on high shelves or mantels. Never leave candles unsupervised. Homes with fireplaces should use screens to avoid accidental burns. A better alternative is battery operated flameless candles. 

9. Electrical: To prevent any accidents, indoor or outdoor, wires should be taped to the wall or the sides of the house. Any wires extending away from the wall should be wrapped in hard protective plastic. 

10. Gift Wrap: Wrapping paper, string, ribbon, plastic pieces or cloth could all cause intestinal blockages. Also, keep scissors off the floor or low tables. Be cautious of gifts with ribbon and bows under the tree where your pets can get to them.