PRECAUTIONS FOR PET OWNERS DURING THE HOLIDAYS
- Poinsettias
are extremely poisonous to cats and dogs. Precautions should be taken to move poinsettias so that animals cannot chew on the leaves.
- Christmas trees should be secure so that cats and dogs cannot pull them down.
- Tinsel and ribbons can be fatal to a dog, cat, or bird if swallowed.
- Be cautious with holiday lights, they can also be fatal if a dog, cat or bird chews through the wires and it can also be a fire hazard for your home.
- Make sure your fragile ornaments are out of reach of a curious cat or dog that might be attracted to the shinny surface or sparkles and try to bat it off the tree.
- Don’t use popcorn for decorations. Dogs, cats, and birds can choke on popcorn.
- If you are using a live tree, make sure that the preservative in the water is not poisonous to your pet. Many times, pets will mistake this water for drinking water.
- Be sure that your animal is properly "potty-trained" or they might use the tree as a watering post.
- Don’t feed you pets rich holiday foods. Don’t give your pet leftover turkey bones or other table scraps and don’t feed your animals candy, nuts, or chocolate which can be fatal.