Enjoy the most wonderful time of the year together with your pet. This is how you make your Christmas pet proof!
A period that many people look forward to. Christmas! Time to bring that pine scent back into your home with a Christmas tree and time for lots of cozy lights and Christmas decorations. You may have already started preparing for Christmas. However, as a pet owner, there are a number of important things to consider, to make sure that your beloved four-legged friend has a safe and happy Christmas. Keep reading!
Make your Christmas pet proof by starting with the tree
Perhaps the most important tip, making your Christmas tree pet proof. Unfortunately, dogs/cats and Christmas trees aren’t always a good combination. Think of jumping into the Christmas tree, eating decorations or knocking over glass baubles. This is of course completely understandable. For your curious, sniffing roommate, this is something new, a new object that wasn’t there before. And this causes curiosity. But how do you make your Christmas tree pet proof? Here’s what you can do:
* Hang breakable objects, such as glass baubles, out of the reach of your dog or cat. Place it a little higher in the tree, for example.
* don’t hang anything edible on the tree. I think we all know that animals have a very good sense of smell. This prevents a disaster on your Christmas tree and it prevents your four-legged friend from eating objects that are not suitable for him or her.
* hang the light cord out of the reach of your pet. Safety first! Your pet may become curious and play with the cord or worse, bite it. This is also dangerous. Just like with the fragile objects, it is best to only attach the light cord higher in the Christmas tree.
* make sure you use a firm stand. If your cat or dog bumps into the tree, you reduce the chance of it falling over by using a good stand.
* place a decorative tarp on the stand of the Christmas tree. This you can do to make sure your four-legged friend cannot drink the water from the Christmas tree. The sap from a Christmas tree is poisonous to dogs and cats. You should also be careful with the pine needles on the Christmas tree. Keep it away from your dog/cat and place the tree far away from your pet’s water and food bowl. You may consider buying a fake Christmas tree. Did you know that cats find the smell of a fake Christmas tree a lot less interesting?
* let your pet get used to the tree. Especially when it´s crowdy while setting up the tree, your four-legged friend becomes curious. It is therefore best to place your pet in another room for a while while decorating the Christmas tree and then let him or her get used to the tree.
Be careful with poisonous plants
Holly, mistletoe and poinsettias are common Christmas decorations, but also examples of house plants that are not safe for dogs. So keep it away from your dog. As mentioned before, you should also watch out for the pine needles that fall from the Christmas tree. These can cause damage to your pet’s mouth or digestive organs. It is therefore best to clean up under the Christmas tree with the vacuum cleaner on a daily basis.
Place candles on a safe place
During Christmas we naturally want to create an extra cozy atmosphere with candles and lights. However, make sure to place it out of reach of your pet.
Be careful with presents under the tree
Of course it looks super nice and builds up the Christmas tension: the early placing of presents under the Christmas tree. Which present will be for you and what will be in it? We fully understand this. However, if you have a curious sniffer in your house, it is advisable to place the presents just before Christmas Eve, so that they are not unintentionally opened or disappear (p.s. this also applies to human, curious sniffers!).
Now that you know how to create a safe and responsible Christmas for your pet, and by that make your Christmas pet proof, there is only one thing left: enjoy this beautiful time of the year with your four-legged friend. Give him or her extra love during these days, just like you do for your family and friends. You will receive it back from them tenfold!
Did you know we also wrote a blog about tips to help your pet on New Year´s Eve? Read it here.
STUDIO ANIMAUX loves animals. We try to improve constantly with our pet products, think sustainably and bring awareness to animal rescue. That way we make our customers happier and the future a bit brighter.Did you know that you contribute to charity when you order from STUDIO ANIMAUX®? We donate €1 per order to ACE (Animal Care España), called SHIN (Spaanse Honden In Nood) in Belgium. ACE|SHIN is committed to the fight against abuse and killing of neglected and abused (stray) dogs and (stray) cats.
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