The holidays are a time of traveling, gathering together, feasting, and generally having a good time. But with all the hustle and bustle, it can be easy to forget to take those necessary steps to keep your pet happy and healthy.
Do yourself—and your furry friend—a favor this year and don’t forget to help your pet enjoy the holiday season by following these simple pet care tips:
- Your pet deserves a present, too! While you’re out buying gifts for your family members, friends, and business contacts, don’t forget to buy a little something special for your awesome pet. After all, your pet is always there for you. He greets you with a wagging tail and happy face when you get home from work. She curls up on your lap to keep you warm while you watch television or read a book. Your pet loves you unconditionally. Give some love back with a special toy or your pet’s favorite treat. 1800PetMeds has a great assortment of holiday treats, comfy beds and fun toys in their “Holiday Gift” section. Be sure to check for a money-saving 1800PetMeds coupon code before making a purchase!
- Keep your pet away from any foods he’s not used to. Animals don’t always react well to new foods in their diet, and that means that it’s probably not a good idea to pass the leftovers on to your furry friend during the holidays. Also, be sure to keep things like chocolate and bones (which can splinter) away from your pet. An emergency trip to the vet is probably not where you, or your pet, would like to end up during this busy season.
- If you have a cat, please do take extra caution when hanging ornaments on your Christmas tree. We all know how much our kitties love to play with those dangling temptations, especially those shiny Christmas ornaments and lights. While this in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can become harmful if an ornament’s hook gets caught on your cat’s paw or mouth.
- Another decoration-related pet hazard to keep in mind is that the holidays usually lead to an increased number of cables and cords all over the house. Make sure to keep an eye on your animals to prevent them from chewing on the cords and possibly getting shocked.
- While we’re talking about decorations, let’s address the Christmas tree. Never allow your pet to drink from the tree water—it can contain toxins such as fertilizer or pinesap, which can make your dog or cat extremely ill.
- In general, it’s best to keep toxic plants out of your home. This means those gorgeous holiday favorites; mistletoe, poinsettia, lilies and holly. Sure, they look great on the table or in the corner of the room, but they’re also poisonous to your pets!
As you can see, it’s very important to keep your four-legged friends in the forefront of your mind this holiday season! Don’t forget to save money on your pets by always using a petmeds coupon code!
What else do you do as a pet owner to keep your pets safe and happy during the holidays?
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Great tips. We learned after one year of putting tinsel on our tree never to do it again. Our oldest cat would eat it, and grossly we were pulling it out of his butt. Safety is important for our pets during the holidays especially.
I know how gross that is! Our dog did that one year and it was not fun – BLAH! We don’t use tinsel anymore either, I found some pretty plastic icicles that look just as good with less mess!
Good tips! I don’t have any pets, but I do sometimes buy pet gifts for my friends who own cats or dogs. :)