Cat Q&A » pet safety http://catqa.com Find all your cat answers here Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:34:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Protect Your Animals at Christmas http://catqa.com/protect-your-animals-at-christmas http://catqa.com/protect-your-animals-at-christmas#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:13:22 +0000 Cats http://catqa.com/protect-your-animals-at-christmas Xmas is with us again, a period for happiness , on the other hand it is also a hazardous time for both us and our beloved animals. Pet Sitters London have attempted to identify their top tips to minimize the dangers to our pets over this seasonal period. Cat sitters are frequently asked for help or notice potential risks to pets at Xmas. This is often a neglected part of pet care.
1. Your Xmas Tree
It is crucial that it is in a safe location and is firmly fixed. This pleasurable activity of decorating the tree with your children, needs to be done in such a way that the cat, when it jumps up onto it, will not bring it down on to the pet. Animals and cats can be put out of joint at Christmas and can become worried and likely to do anything, with the crowds, with all the new sounds and smells. Try to avoid placing the tree too near to furniture that will help the animal jump onto the tree. Ideas include tying the tree to the ceiling and wall with some wire. A temporary hook into the wall is a great safety feature. Weighting down the tree roots / stem to improve stability is another way of avoiding problems.
Real trees pose a further risk from the pet digesting the pine needles – so hoover them up regularly. Some of the water additives for prolonging the life of the tree are dangerous, make sure your animal cannot drink this water.
2. Xmas Decoration Care.
Glass Xmas balls are particularly dangerous, an alternative are the wooden and plastic balls. Eating these can be very dangerous. Some of the bright streamers can also be attractive to dogs, and can block the digestive tracts.
Avoid using hooks on fixing the ornaments to the trees, use string – it is far safer.

3. Electrical Dangers.
The electrical wire can be both a dangerous trip hazard and an electrical hazard if animals bite into them. So tidy the wires up. Be very wary if you have a pet that is curious and if it chews. Keep things turned off if no one is present, or close the door.

4. Pet Behaviour
It is a time when, in principle you have a lot of free time, which is an opportunity to care for your pets, even start a pet training programme that you have been meaning to do. However you have many distractions, with a lot on and people coming and going.
It is important to have a rational understanding of the reliability of your pets. If in any doubt close the rooms with any potential danger to, or caused by pets.
Pet behaviour can become variable at Christmas with the new sounds, smells and people. Pets are territorial and can see a reduction in attention, their favourite spot taken over by the Christmas tree as a threat to their quarters. They are then more liable to change behaviour, cats become worried and nervous, they often go off their food – even if you are giving them some nice Salmon or Liver. Dogs can become aggressive, if they do not have enough exercise or enough attention and love. A real risk even with very well behaved and trained dogs is the “ out of the ordinary” attacks on kids and babies. Separate them if not being supervised carefully all the time. If busy consider a professional dog walker from a company such as Dog Walkers London. If you do not have the time for exercising the dog, book your dog walker for a few sessions over Christmas, though you may need to do this early as they are often busy doing pet sitting at Christmas.
5. Boxes of Christmas Presents
Pets are intrigued by boxes, in sparkling colours and materials with lots of people showing attention. Be extremely careful if you have moved their bed to put the tree up and the presents around it. It is not unknown for dogs to take it out on the presents. A great follow on risk is stomach blockages from the ribbons that they can eat, resulting in a trip to the local London veterinary clinic.
6. Food Dangers for Pets
It is always tempting to feed the pets some of the nice food that you have at Christmas. Do not give from the table, transfer to their normal food bowls at normal feeding times. It can take you the rest of the year to stop begging at the table, if it worked well at Christmas
Mistletoe and Poinsettias. Some food such as onions, which could be in the nice stew or some of the chocolate being handed around. Sugary products can cause dental problems and with 30-50 % of pets suffering from being over weight these calories should be avoided. For pet and human, maybe go for a dog walk, he would most likely prefer it.
7. Safety of the Home
A good check of the house is worthwhile, our pet sitters, often notice dangers and pass them onto the owners, common ones include live candles that would be knocked over by pets, especially dogs wagging tails.
Turn off potentially dangerous electrical items such as the Christmas tree lights when no human is present in the house.

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