The holiday season can be both exciting and overwhelming for your pets. With changes to routines, dazzling decorations, unfamiliar faces, and enticing smells, Christmas can become a confusing—and potentially dangerous—time for your furry friends. A little planning can help protect them during the festivities.
Christmas Trees and Decorations
Cats, especially kittens, may view the tree as an irresistible climbing challenge. Puppies may be drawn to baubles, tinsel, or cords. These can lead to toppled trees, broken ornaments, electrical injuries, or swallowed decorations.
- Secure the tree: Make sure it cannot easily topple. A high table is not reliable protection from cats.
- Limit access: Keep the tree in a room your pet cannot enter without supervision. A barrier may help, but do not rely on it to stop a climbing cat.
- Keep hazards away: Place ornaments, tinsel, and electrical cords out of reach.
Common Holiday Hazards
Broken ornaments can leave sharp shards of plastic or glass. Swallowed tinsel can block the intestines, while chewing electrical cords can cause burns or electrocution.
Decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, or listlessness could signal a problem. If you suspect your pet has swallowed a decoration or harmful food, contact your vet promptly rather than waiting for symptoms. Do not induce vomiting unless a vet instructs you to.
Christmas Presents
Pets do not understand the concept of waiting for Christmas Day, especially when delicious-smelling gifts are involved. Keep food-related presents securely stored where pets cannot reach them, rather than leaving them under the tree.
Clean up ribbons, bows, and plastic packaging promptly after unwrapping gifts to avoid choking or ingestion.
Christmas Food
Stick to your pet’s normal diet and pet-appropriate treats rather than sharing Christmas leftovers. Ask guests not to feed your pets, and keep food scraps and rubbish secure.
Keep these foods away from pets:
- Ham and other fatty or salty leftovers.
- Cooked bones.
- Chocolate.
- Grapes and raisins, including Christmas cakes or puddings containing them.
- Onions.
- Alcohol.
- Foods and sweets containing xylitol.
Comfort During Celebrations
- Fireworks and loud noises: Provide a quiet, secure space during noisy celebrations or New Year’s Eve fireworks.
- Summer heat: Ensure your pet has access to shade and water.
- Quality time: Keep familiar feeding and exercise routines where possible, and make time for attention away from the holiday bustle.
- A quiet retreat: Designate a quiet, cool area where your pet can retreat from visitors and commotion.
With planning and supervision, you can help your pets enjoy a safer, calmer festive season.
For further guidance, see the RSPCA’s Christmas pet safety tips.