10 Things To Do with Your Pet at Christmas...
Authored by James Horner
It’s that magical time of year and we wanted to share our top tips for you and your pets having the best (and a safe) time during the festive period and into the next year!
Buy a Cute Christmas Outfit
Christmas is a time for the whole family including your pet! We have lots of clients who have outfits for their pets. Always be mindful of your cat or dog’s tolerance for wearing clothes, some will love it, others will not! If they don’t they just give them lots of Christmas fuss!
2. Make some Pet Treats
To keep in the giving mood, why not make a safe treat for your pets? The RSPCA created some fun videos on treats you can make in which you know that all ingredients will be safe for your furry friends!
How to Make Cat Treats:
How to Make Dog Treats:
3. Set up a Safe Space for Your Pet
We all can get a little “over Christmas-d” at times, and this is the same for our pets. Bigger parties, larger family get togethers, small children, noises, drink and events going late into the evening.
Routines of cats and dogs matter hugely to them and so they will likely be experiencing a big disruption.
Try creating a safe space for them as we advised in our fireworks article.
Equally, if you have small people around, make sure they know that the safe space is a place to leave your cat or dog alone.
4. Christmas Trees!
Trees are great, pictures of cats climbing trees are fun– but be careful that they don’t hurt themselves or your home! Pine is actually toxic to cats so if you can, get a fake plastic tree to keep them safe. Baubles can be mistaken for playthings and could shatter causing some damage to your pet – keep them out of harm’s way!
5. Beware - String, decorations and wrapping paper
A big worry for vets is the “linear foreign body”. This can be caused by wayward string or other material that our pets decide is great for swallowing. We can start listing ribbons, tinsel, string around the turkey crown… all could be a foreign body waiting to happen! So, if you have toys, or presents wrapped with any material make sure you dispose of it all carefully so that an accidental swallowing will not occur!
6. Beware: Festive Treat or Poison?
There are many potential poisons threatening our pets during the festive period. Chocolate, raisins and alcohol are all toxic to our pets, whilst lesser known poinsettias, onions (notably in gravy) and lilies are next on the list of dangers!
If you have any chocolate treats, or potentially poisonous items, keep them away from those interested noses, pets and partners alike! Check out our poison guide for more information.
So these next 3 aren’t quite so fun, but will really help getting your pet happy and healthy for the new year.
7. Check their Parasite Treatment is Up To Date
With a new year dawning check the details of your pet’s healthcare is up to date. Have you treated for fleas or worms recently? Overwinter may see a reduction in the breeding cycle of these pests, but that can all come back with a bang in spring if we let the attention lapse! Make sure the product works!
8. Check insurance is appropriate as they come into next year
It may be way off the priority list with all the money being spent on gifts, but this makes insurance even more key! When things go wrong with a pet they can get very expensive. Check you have in your policy – lifetime cover, sufficient veterinary fee expenses and no exclusions in the small print!
9. Prepare: Vaccinations – kittens, puppies and the oldies!
Pets are for life and not just for Christmas, and setting them on the right track is really important. If you are getting a new pet, or you have friends with young pets make sure they have their vaccinations.
Many veterinary practices offer vaccination starting packages, and we are no different. Our Wellness Subscriptions of all sorts to suit your new pets, and our recommend-a-friend process means you can share the Christmas giving with £10 off for you and your mate when they come in for a consultation or vaccination.
And finally…
