Including our pets in the holidays is an important tradition for most families. Every year, they have the habit of attacking the Christmas tree, using tiny claws to peek into presents, and of course, wearing cute holiday sweaters (that can be a bit overpriced, but what we wouldn’t do for our furry friends).
Unfortunately, as we begin to relax and spend time with those closest to us, we can inadvertently put our furriest members at risk. Here’s a list of six things to be mindful of with our pets during the holidays (and we’re even giving more general tips on how to clean after pets on that other blog).
1. Deck the halls with non-toxic houseplants
It’s not the holidays unless decorations are in full bloom. While holiday plants are beautiful and festive, many aren’t safe for your pet. Poinsettias, azaleas, holly, and mistletoe (gorgeous as they are) are mildly toxic for animals. The more dangerous ones (especially for cat owners) are lilies and yew. These cause extreme reactions and should never be in the house.
2. Why you should mark the gifts
When it’s time to exchange presents with your family or friends, make sure to mark when a gift is not pet friendly (with a non-toxic marker and not a gift tag). You don’t want them clawing in and snooping their nose into something that could be harmful. They’ll thank you for it, and the owners too. We thought we should also jump on the opportunity to remind you that our whole AspenClean cleaning products collection is pet-safe.
3. Eating off the table
While it’s nearly impossible to say no to those begging eyes, be careful what you’re feeding your pets off the table this holiday. Holiday food can be loaded with delicious, harmless ingredients for humans but toxic to animals. Raisins, grapes, alcoholic beverages, chocolate, coffee, onions, fatty foods, yeast dough, macadamia nuts, and chocolate are dangerous to animals and need to be treated with care this holiday. However, you can feed them a few pieces of turkey. They will need to be well-cooked, skinless, plain, unseasoned, and as usual, in a small amount ( and, as we explain in our tips on how to keep your holidays hygienic: do not wash the turkey).
4. Ribbons and bow ties on gifts
Realistically, we all know that no matter what present we get our pet, nothing will top the classic cardboard box and wrapping paper. There’s something pure about watching your pets ignore your $100 gift and be enamoured by the free box it came in. Just be careful no ribbons or bows are attached to those boxes - they can cause choking or harm to animals if ingested.
5. Tree etiquette
While these are the centrepiece of most holiday homes, they are nothing more than oversized, pine-flavoured chew toys for your pet. With that in mind, be safe in how you choose to decorate them. Keep breakable ornaments out of reach from a surprise attack. Your pets can knock your ornaments over, and you can be sure they will be ingested. This same goes for tinsel and garland.
6. Home Cleaning Services
While you can try to keep everything organized and safe for your pets, sometimes things can slip through the cracks. A house cleaning service (if you’re lucky enough to live in Vancouver, Calgary or Toronto) that uses pet-safe cleaning products will give you the extra help you need to enjoy your holidays. They know everything about pet-safe products, so this sounds like a great option for your furry family members.
For more information about pet-safe cleaning products, cleaning hacks or just news about the sustainability world, don’t hesitate to check out our blog for regular updates.
