You can bet that during the holiday season your pet is bound to sniff out leftovers, dig into the presents and have fun with all of your decorations. And while these holiday effects can spread cheer and joy among your human family members, they can be a real hazard to pets. Check out these tips to help you keep your holiday celebration safe, happy, and healthy for your pets!
Although decorations can be pretty and bring in the holiday spirit, it's important to be aware of décor that can be harmful to your pet. When planning your décor, avoid poisonous holiday plants like poinsettias and holly. There are plenty of toxic-free alternatives as evocative of the season as these traditional holiday favorites. If you must deck the halls with such plants, place them in out of the way spots so your pets can’t reach and if needed, keep your pets away from those areas of your home.
Tinsel and gift ribbons are tempting for pets that like to play with shiny things, but when swallowed, such items can cause intestinal obstructions. Clean up after opening presents and vacuum around the tree to pick up any gift debris, as well as fallen pine needles which pose a similar hazard.
When it comes to the holidays, there’s no need to be a Grinch in order to keep your celebration safe for pets or forgo that lovely holiday candle display just because you have a pet in your life. New technologies are making it easier to teach pets to stay away from certain areas of your home, both indoors and outside.
For example, Invisible Fence® Brand Indoor Shields® Unit creates adjustable Invisible Boundary® protection around areas in your home you want to protect your dog or cat from. From trash cans to sections of rooms, Indoor Shields keep your pet protected in a variety of scenarios. And if you have multiple pets, you can set different rules for different pets.
As most great pet owners know, not all human foods are safe or healthy for pets. Pets can choke on bones in meat or fish dishes. And such foods as onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate -- which are commonly found in holiday cooking and baking -- are unsafe for dogs.
Avoid having your well-meaning guests sending Spot to the vet by laying ground rules about sharing food. Also, one man’s trash is a pet’s treasure, so be sure to keep the lid on the garbage secure. By taking proper precautions, you can keep the holidays festive this year for both you and your pets. Check out our Pet Holiday Food Guide blog post so you can be aware of unsafe foods.
About Invisible Fence® Brand
Invisible Fence pioneered the pet containment industry in 1973, making it their mission to provide safe boundaries inside and outside of the home. The Radio Systems Corporation® owned company predominantly sells pet containment, avoidance and access solutions across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to offering award-winning products like Boundary Plus® Technology, Authorized Dealers provide professional installation, Perfect Start™ Plus Training and integrated solutions that have protected more than three million pets to date. Invisible Fence also founded the Project Breathe™ Program in 2006, donating more than 32,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments and first responders. For more information on Invisible Fence or to find a local dealer, visit InvisibleFence.com or follow the company on Facebook.