Tips on keeping pets safe during the holidays as shared by Echo, leader of the Evening Song Farm pack
Dear human(s) in my pack and others,
As we get into the season of that white stuff on the ground that sticks to my paws, it’s important that you remember:
I know I always look extra longingly at the dinner table this time of year. However, even if I beg nicely and do a trick in front of your friends, don’t give me that human food I’m salivating for. Also don’t give it to that furry creature with the whiskers who lives down the road either.
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- Chocolate is toxic to pets.
- Turkey skin and turkey can cause a life altering condition known as pancreatitis. “And this is not fun!” chimes in Echo who has occasional bouts of it.
- Foods that have artificial sweeteners in them have been traced to liver failure.
- Clear food away right away and make sure your trash and/or food scraps and carcasses aren’t accessible to your pet. Even the smallest ones can manage a big reach when it comes to tasty morsels.
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And then there’s that tall green plant with those shiny things that are colorful when it’s dark and that silver sparkly stuff that hangs down. Then you get mad when I drink water in the water bowl of this plant but I’m too tired to go to the kitchen and why does this thing need water anyway? It doesn’t have paws!
My buddy says that the furball at his house tries to go to the top of their plant. He barks to tell her not to but she doesn’t listen and HE gets told to be quiet. She even broke one of the round balls today and left some red paw prints all over the rug.
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- Additives that prolong the life of a tree can be poisonous to animals.
- The likelihood of a tree topple is real if it hasn’t been anchored to the wall.
- Some animals will chew electrical cords.
- Tinsel ingested can cause intestinal blockage.
- Broken glass ornaments can cause injuries to paws, so it’s best to either forego them for a few years or find a way to double hook them.
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My buddy from down the hill says they don’t have a green thing in their house but they do have a lot of warm fires on sticks. He was told not to play with or bite the sticks even when they don’t have the flickery part on them. What good are sticks if you can’t bite them?!? Doesn’t seem fair to me.
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- Candles need to be watched at all times around pets. A curious exploration can turn into a burnt nose or an overturned candle.
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For some reason, you seem to want to squeeze a lot of other humans inside OUR space lately. You do need to remember that if I’ve been inside all day, I’ll want to run outside when the door is open. For my part, I don’t like all these non-pack beings in our space. Just let me stay away from all the noise with my red bird toy. Those tiny fast moving ones also often pull on my ears and it’s really annoying.
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- It will be better for your pet to be in another room and/or crated while you have guests.
- You don’t need to say “yes” if someone asks if they can bring their pet. Last thing you want is an issue between two animals in the midst of a get-together.
- Be sure to let guests know you have pets. Remember you want to make it a pleasant experience for your pet also.
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I can tell that you must be sad that we can’t play fetch outside because you’re bringing in a whole lot of green things into the house now. Some of them are pretty like what is outside when the sun is hot. But most of them can make me really really ill. Even some of that smelly stuff is so bad.
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- Plants such as mistletoe, balsam pine, cedar, poinsettias, holly and amaryllis are all dangerous for pets and some are poisonous.
- The essential oils in liquid potpourri can severely damage the mouth, eyes, and skin and dry mixtures could also cause problems when eaten.
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And if something happens where I make a mistake, maybe, just maybe, you were so busy that you forgot to do something to make this a safe time and place for me.
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- As humans, we create the atmosphere /space for our pets. It’s important that we look at what we did/didn’t do in creating a safe environment for our pets.
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I am looking forward to being outside and catching those white balls that fall apart when they hit me and cuddling up inside with you. I just wanted to remind you that there’s a bunch you need to do this season to keep me safe. In turn, I will protect you against that collection of big round balls that are outside. Even with the dotted black smiles on them, you never know. I, the leader of the Evening Song Farm pack, will guard you and this farm.
Your faithful friend,
Echo (on behalf of all the dogs and furballs with whiskers)
P.S. It’s me again, Echo.
A number of dogs and cats have had their portraits done by Grandma B (that’s what we call her) this year. Gift certificates or a portrait can be ordered at ANY time of the year.
Here’s the one she did of me many years ago. I think I looked rather dignified, don’t you?
