Have a Pet Safe Christmas: No Gifts Under Christmas Tree

  Posted on December 15, 2020  by Joy of Living  No comments

Even though it looks nice and festive to have gifts wrapped and under the tree, for a pet safe Christmas, no gifts under the tree until ready to open them. Some holiday gifts can pose a health threat to your pets.

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No Edible Goodies Under the Tree

It’s wise not to leave a chew treat or other edible goodies under the tree.  Your curious pets will probably find them before December 25th! Keep those out of paw reach until the actual day of celebration, when you can supervise your pet “opening” his gifts! Once a dog gets a whiff of edible goodies, he’ll do whatever it takes to get them, often leading to a fallen Christmas tree.

Ribbons and Bows Not Required

Also, you may love the pretty ribbons and bows, but remove them before you give the gifts to your pets. If your dog or cat gets into these trimmings – such as yarn, ribbon, or string – they can choke on them or, if actually swallowed, then can cause intestinal obstruction which usually requires surgery. There’s no “Happy Holidays!” in that! Soon after I adopted my cat Marty, he ingested some string which led to an unexpected vet visit.

Go Unscented

Wrapped gifts that contain perfumes or after-shaves, often contain ethanol (alcohol). Perfume also contains essential oils which, if ingested by your pet, can be lethal.

Batteries Not Included

Most folks will say, “Remember the batteries!” but remember those batteries for other reasons.  These can be toxic to pets, and like gift wrapping decorations, they can also cause intestinal blockage.  Keep  batteries out of reach until they are ready to be inserted in the gift.

Conclusion

For those that spend a lot of time dressing up the Christmas gifts with fancy wrapping, the effort involved is wasted on pets. Once they find a package that interests them, they’ll tear wrapping paper and anything else that keeps them from getting the goodies in the box. What a shame to spend time and money on fancy wrapping that your pet destroys!

Our pets get excited by the holidays. By following the tips above, having a pet safe Christmas is easy and enjoyable for everyone.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to what the new year will bring.Take care!

To learn more Christmas safety tips, check out this post