9 tips for a Merry Christmas for dogs and cats.

The Christmas holidays are upon us and with them come all kinds of decorations, toxic plants, food of all kinds, visits, trips, joy everywhere and a lot of misunderstandings that can end in a big scare or upset for dogs and cats.

Christmas is a time to celebrate with friends and family, and therefore with our life companions, but unfortunately for dogs and cats, Christmas is a time when cases of poisoning, ingestion of foreign bodies and stray dogs and cats are on the increase.

List of dangers for dogs and cats at Christmas and how to avoid them.

1.- Toxic plants: Many Christmas plants, such as mistletoe, holly and poinsettias, are toxic to animals. Keep these plants out of reach of your companions or choose non-toxic alternatives.

2.- Ornaments and decorations: Bright and crackling decorations can be tempting to animals. Avoid using small or easily breakable ornaments, small pieces that can be easily swallowed or get stuck and can cause choking. 

3.-Candles: Be careful with candles!!!! As far away from dogs and cats as possible to avoid burns. Playful little tails or curious paws can give us a fright at any moment.

4.- Christmas tree: Make sure that the Christmas tree is well secured to prevent it from tipping over if your curious furry friend decides to explore it. Depending on your companions, you can use a sturdy stand, anchor it to the wall, place it in a room that can be closed off, or do without it if the risk of an accident is high.

5.-Beware of electric cables: Lights and other decorations can come with electric cables that represent a risk of biting dogs, cats and rabbits (and any other housemate with teeth). We can get away with using cable protectors or tape to secure wires along walls to put them out of reach, although we should never underestimate their ability to be reckless, so if in doubt unplug them whenever you're not in front of them, or put them in really unreachable places, an electrocution at Christmas is not what we expect to happen.

6.-Christmas foods: Many Christmas foods are harmful to animals. Chocolate, grapes (including sultanas), onions, the pits of some fruits, the skins of some nuts, sugary foods, foods with too much fat, alcohol, coffee, etc.. Avoid giving them any product that you don't know they can eat, raise awareness among friends or relatives who might make the mistake of poisoning your companion, at this time of year we cannot forget to take care of and protect dogs and cats, so we will be especially careful with them, and if you want to give them something tasty to eat you can buy or cook it (VeggieAnimals wet sausages and tins are an excellent option to give them a treat without endangering their health).

7.-Noise and stress: Christmas is often accompanied by noise, visits, more time and more people at home, travel, in short, stress. Take care of their wellbeing and provide them with a quiet and safe place where they can retreat to if they feel overwhelmed, use pheromones, and do the routines with them that you know help them feel loved and relaxed, for example going for a walk in the case of dogs and playtime in the case of cats.

8.-Gifts and wrapping: Gift wrap, ribbons and bows may be fun for dogs and cats but can pose risks if ingested. Be careful and insist that guests do not open gifts prematurely and that wrapping paper is disposed of safely without dogs or cats having access to ingest them.

9.-Microchip: With so much hustle and bustle, your companion can give you a scare. Make sure they have the chip implanted, active and with your updated details (check with your vet to make sure), you can also put an identification tag with your phone number on the dogs or put a GPS collar on them so that if they get lost it will be easier to locate them or you.

Our advice is to always keep them and their needs in mind, talk to your vet or if there are behavioural problems with an ethologist for advice. You may want to spend the festive season with your companions, but this will involve extra responsibility, avoiding any scares and making them feel at ease with all the hustle and bustle.

Happy holidays to you all! Take care of yourselves and look after them.