Keeping your little furry friends safe over the festive period can be a difficult task. With ornaments, decorations, presents, lights and lets not forget the Christmas tree. Our fellow pet lovers over at Maxi Zoo have shared with us a few ideas to make sure that it is a happy festive season for both two and four-legged friends alike.
Quite Time
Create a quite spot in the house where your pet can retreat to if visitors and the Christmas environment (decorations, lights, music) can get too much (we think a few two-legged friends would like this spot too 
). Dogs and cats should also have a basket available in such a room, where they can retreat as necessary.
Christmas Feasting
As tempting as it is to sneak your pet treats or even table scraps, it’s best to resist for their health. Human food tends to be seasoned too strongly for dogs and cats and can rarely be digested easily. Put leftovers from your Christmas roast out of reach as soon as possible. Bones, especially poultry bones and fish bones, can lead to serious injury, obstructed bowels and constipation in your pets. Instead opt for a new variety of snacks or a special “Christmas menu” for dogs or cats.
The Big Shiney Tree
We have all seen the Cat’s vs Christmas Trees videos. The colourful ornaments, the glittering tinsel are all especially tempting to cats. As a result, many Christmas celebrations have ended at the animal hospital because the cat tried to climb the tree and it fell over as a result, or the dog jiggled an ornament off the tree and he cut himself on the shards. Ingesting the tinsel can lead to obstructed bowels, often having to be surgically removed while drinking Christmas tree water can also affect your pet’s health. You must set up a “no trespassing zone” near the tree. As soon as your dog or cat approaches the Christmas tree, clap your hands and shout “No!”.
Pets and Fireworks
The stressful Christmas celebrations have just about passed and your pet is already facing the next challenge: New Year’s Eve. Many pets panic as a result of the fireworks and firecrackers set off at midnight. To minimize the risk don’t keep your pets outdoors when fireworks are going off and ensure that they have a safe, quiet place inside where they aren’t frightened by all of the noise. Make sure they are somewhere they cannot escape through an open door.
Did You Know?
Poinsettias are one of the most dangerous house plants and can lead to life-threatening poisoning. Try and avoid or keep out of harms way.
We wish you all a Pawsome Christmas and a Meowy New Year! And remember, if you need more advice and tips, contact or visit your local Maxi Zoo store.