Pets and The Holidays

Hi this is Leslie Harris, and as you may know, I am a bit of a crazy cat lady. I have cats of my own, plus I foster cats. By the way, I have a dog too, and I love him just as much.

The holidays can be a challenging time for pet owners. I love having a big, brightly lit tree with lots of decorations, but as you may know, cats like to play with things that are hanging. So what is a pet owner to do?
I have not had many problems with the dog, but I will touch on that. This is mostly about cats.
It may be too late this year, but cats tend to leave real trees alone. I have no idea why they prefer to climb the artificial ones, and there are some cats who will climb a real tree, but I have always had a real tree, and I have never had a problem with a cat climbing it.
But just in case, I always put the tree in the same window. This window has curtain pullbacks, secured firmly to the wall and I actually tie the tree with fishing line to the curtain pullbacks. One can never be too careful.
I have also heard that some people put aluminum foil around their tree. Cats generally don’t like foil. But don’t make the mistake that tinsel is a suitable substitute! It is not, and you may be pulling something shiny out of your cat’s bum. Don’t ask me how I know.
I also put the fragile ornaments near the top, and the sturdier ornaments near the bottom. This is where I caution dog owners. I had a cute little wooden train set that I would put under the tree, and my dog had a good time chewing it up.
You can also buy sprays that smell unpleasant to your pet. There are some that are commercially made specifically for this use, and you can also try some essential oils.  BE SURE to check on your oils before you use them though, as many essential oils are toxic to our furry friends.
How do you pet proof your home for the holidays? Let me know in the comments.

More about: