Christmas is a special time of year. But pet owners have to be extra careful when they are decorating to make sure the furry, four-legged family members stay safe. So, here are some pet owner Christmas decor tips that you can use to reduce your chances of having a trip to an emergency vet part of your holidays.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 1 – Be Careful of Live Decorations
Even though live holly and mistletoe are beautiful, they are not a good idea when you have pets. They’re really poisonous when an animal ingests them. Even though poinsettias aren’t poisonous, they can cause an upset stomach. If you want to decorate with these kinds of plants, you want to choose the silk versions.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 2 – Be Safe When It Comes to Lights
Even though candles look very festive when they’re put around your home, they can also cause a huge danger. If your dog wags its tail or your cat jumps up, they can knock it over and spill hot wax. They also can start a fire. It’s better to use flameless candles that are battery-operated instead. If you are insistent on using real candles during the holidays, make sure that they are on sturdy furniture and up high so that animals (and children) can’t reach them and knock them over.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 3 – Stabilize Your Tree
One of the biggest parts of Christmas is the Christmas tree. Whether it’s real or artificial, you spend a lot of time decorating it and you want to make sure that it stays looking great. But a tree also can easily fall over with pets running around, or even with kids. So. it’s a good idea to use guide wires to attach the tree either to the ceiling or wall.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 4 – Wisely Choose Ornaments
When you are decorating your tree, keep the breakable ornaments up higher on the tree. If you want to use glass ornaments, this can be done by wiring them to your tree’s branch. This will stop them from falling off, breaking, and leading to cuts. Avoid really little ornaments and ones that are made from food, such as nuts, candy, or strings of popcorn. You also want to track the hooks you’re using for hanging your ornaments. If your pet swallows one, it can cause a lot of harm.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 5 – Be Careful with Stockings
If you are hanging up stockings, either for decoration or to fill, you want to avoid the heavy stocking holders made of metal. Even though they look great, they can cause injuries to your pet. If your pet pulls at your stockings and that holder falls off, it can cause a bad injury. A better choice is the Command strips with hooks on them attached by removable tape. you also can hang them from doorknobs or put them beneath your tree Christmas morning. Just make sure that you aren’t filling them with food on Christmas eve. Otherwise, your pets might get into them and get sick.
Pet Owner Christmas Decor Tips 6 – Set Your Table Carefully
Long runners or tablecloths often will get yanked. This can cause everything to come off of your table. So you want to use a shorter tablecloth or runner or even use placemats. This way you don’t have to worry about Christmas dinner turning into a magic show.
These are some of the pet owner Christmas decor tips that you can use to help your holiday season be happy and keep everyone be safe. We hope that you and your family have a very happy holiday season!