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| "Scooby Doo! Where are you?" "Oh, I'm just hanging out in the tree, Momma!" |
Tinsel:
This is never a good idea if you have pets, especially cats. Cats are naturally curious, as we all know too
well, and love shiny things and strings. Tinsel, however, can impact in Kitty’s
intestines and cause serious health
issues. It’s best not to take the chance of putting it on the tree. If you do,
and you notice Kitty’s eaten some, watch to see if his eating habits change. If
they do, a quick thing to try first is a little hairball treatment (administer per
package directions) or cooked pumpkin.
A tablespoon or so of organic or natural canned pumpkin, or boiled pumpkin
of your own, can do wonders for Kitty’s digestive system . . . and Fido’s, too!
It is high in water and fiber and can be mixed right in with wet food. It helps with both diarrhea and constipation.
Ornaments:
Shiny things . . . must have them! Cats and dogs both seem to love the
beautiful, shiny ornaments with which we adorn our tree. I have learned over
the years, and I strongly suggest, it’s better to be safe than sorry. In that
vein, we put only non-breakable items at the bottom of the tree. As we have large dogs, we start at about the
height their wagging tails reach. This
also seems to be perfect for reaching kitties (about 3 foot off the ground or
so). It saves heartaches over lost
heirlooms, as well as sadness over a wounded pet due to the broken glass. If
Kitty or Fido should break an ornament and get glass in his/her paw, pull out
your first aid kit (see our July blog post for suggestions for one of your
own), then:
a. extract any glass you can see using tweezers
(and a magnifying glass as needed)
b.
clean the site with hydrogen peroxide
c. liberally apply some type of bacitracin ointment
(Neosporin or similar)
d.
loosely cover with gauze
e.
call the vet if it continues to bleed or cause
pain
Traveling with a pet: Check out our May
blog for suggestions!
Holiday treats: We all know dogs
especially love treats. But we also
know, for many dogs, things like chocolate and cookies (especially with certain
spices and raisins) can be dangerous. Try to keep cookies out of Fido’s way
(says the lady whose 3 large dogs just ate a whole tub of Snickerdoodles. IN MY
DEFENSE, they were in a closed cupboard . . .
five feet off the ground). If he does over indulge, try one of two
things: induce vomiting (see our July
blog for details), or if he seems okay at the time, but later has diarrhea or
constipation, try the pumpkin suggestion above.
One idea, too, is that since raisins are so toxic to dogs (only a few
can cause liver and kidney damage!), try using currants instead in cookies and
treats. Since our emergency here, I keep no raisins in the house! And most
people don’t notice the difference.
Holiday plants: Fresh holly berries,
mistletoe, and poinsettias are lovely decorations and help set a festive mood.
But, as many know, they are a hazard for both cats and dogs (and small
children!). The best suggestion is not to use them in your decorations, but
should you receive one as a gift or in a flower arrangement, be sure to put
them where your loved ones can’t reach. While it has lately been proven that
poinsettias are not as toxic to pets as once believed, they can still cause
stomach upset or diarrhea. Best to steer clear or take precautions.
Live trees: Our cats love to chew these, so we have an artificial one. Our cats also love to chew IT (ugh!), so I will put it up, without decorations, for a few days. Spray bottles work wonders (except in the picture above). If you are out and about a lot, I also suggest spraying some vinegar on the lower branches before the lights and decorations go on. Dry ginger works, too, as cats don't like the smell!
Tree lights: I love pre-lit trees, but we learned our
lesson when our Flat-Coat Retreiver mix was a puppy! It appears pets ALSO love
cords (hmm, big surprise). When Allie chewed through our tree cord, thankfully
she was not hurt (the lights were off). But, I took preventive measures. My
solution? For the unpredictable chewer in the house: on the lower branches,
where your pet can reach, I suggest a little Tabasco sauce. Put it on your
hand, pinch the light cord between your fingers and palm, and slide along each
section of wire between the lights. It saved our doggy from certain doom! Tabasco’s smell is usually deterrent enough,
but the taste will surely get them and with no prolonged damage. For the ones
who are intrigued by the cord running from tree to wall, slit an empty wrapping
paper roll lengthwise. Trim it to size to fit the length you need, then slip it
over any visible wiring from tree to wall. Typically, they soon lose interest
so you can remove the tube before your fussy mother-in-law arrives.
~
Wishing you and your pets a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Your friends at Crunchkins
About the picture above: We inherited a kitty named Scooby. Much like his namesake, you can usually find him up to some sort of shenanigans. Here, he's auditioning for "Treetop Angel: Eight-Foot-Tree".
He didn't get the part.
