Pets during the festive period

[Marjo]

Hey guys,

How many of you have pets at home? With Christmas approaching it's important to think about our pets too. Not just for what you're going to get them as presents  but to also make sure that they are comfortable and safe during the festive season which can get a bit hectic at times. 

Treats:

Will you be giving your pets some delicious treats over Christmas? My cats will (shhh don't tell them yet!) get a little bit of boiled egg which is their ultimate favourite.

Many festive foods are unfortunately toxic to pets though - you can check out an RSPCA article about what is safe and what is not safe for cats and dogs on Christmas here.

Decorations:

Is your pet interested in the decorations you put up for Christmas? My cat back in the day always jumped into the tree and made it fall down until we realised to secure it by tying it with a piece of string to the curtain rail. She still jumped in the tree though, but at least it didn't fall down. All the tree hangings had to be safe (i.e. no chocolate or glass ornaments). Are you putting up any decorations just for your pets to enjoy and play with?

Atmosphere:

It can be stressful to pets when loads of people might visit over a few days, routines change, and loud music might be on. RSPCA also has some tips on keeping pets feeling calm during Christmas, see here.

Presents:

Most of us are probably giving something to our loved ones for Christmas, be it a greeting card or even a present. Do you normally give anything to your pets too, apart from possible treats? I normally wrap a bunch of toy mice for my cats into a little parcel for them, although I often end up unwrapping it myself as they don't understand what it is.  For my previous cat my parents used to wrap a few pieces of shrimp in tin foil and place it under the Christmas tree.

[welshsteve76]

Thanks @Anonymous  He's a right cheeky robin.  Flies around outside the window if you don't notice him at first LOL

[Marjo]

I've always wanted a garden with birds, but having always lived in a flat above ground I've not been able to. Lovely picture of the bird @welshsteve76 

@smh1982 one of my cats, Drake, likes to chew plastic, especially plastic bags (which I always have to hide well) and all kinds of wrappings from things I buy that are made of soft plastic.  I'm getting very good at remembering to unwrap everything immediately and not leave plastic lying around, although sometimes he just finds stuff I didn't realise I had, chews on it and pukes. 

My other cat Arthur also likes cheese! 

@gmarkj you mentioned non-alcoholic rose - I actually saw cat and dog beer and wine at a pet store some time ago.  Perfect for those lonely nights you want to have a glass of red but no one to enjoy it with... It's made of natural things like (if I remember correctly) elderflower extracts etc.

[smh1982]

Pepper waiting for his battered chicken burger

[Marjo]

Aww @smh1982 such a lovely black cat! 

[Anonymous]

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@smh1982 wrote:

Pepper waiting for his battered chicken burger

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What a lovely photo of your cat  @smh1982

I just have a thing for black cats ... my previous cat Wispa was black ... my Marty is ginger / white

Marty & me share a take-away cheeseburger  I usually get all of the bread bap if I'm lucky