Stuttgart. With its festive decorations and sweet delicacies, the pre-Christmas season enchants not only people, but also curious animal companions – people sniff, play, touch and try things out. Especially now, pet owners need to pay particular attention to their pets because holiday decorations pose a number of dangers for dogs and cats.
“December is particularly exciting for dogs and cats, but also stressful and dangerous,” says PETA specialist and animal psychologist Jana Hoger. “Excited people in a festive mood. Lights and candles are twinkling everywhere, sweets are lying around and the tinsel is just waiting to be pulled from the tree.”
To make the holidays a celebration for the four-legged family members, PETA has put together a few tips:
- The Christmas tree and its pitfalls: Since cats like to climb, the Christmas tree must be well secured and ideally set up a few days before decorating so that the animals can get used to it. Glass balls are not suitable as tree decorations because if they shatter, dogs and cats can cut their sensitive paws on the shards. It is advisable not to decorate the lower area of the tree in order to minimize the risk of injury to the animals.
- Tinsel & Co. = danger to life: Tinsel and Christmas garlands are particularly tempting for cats. But be careful: the animals can swallow parts of the metal strips while playing. In this case, the cat must be taken to a veterinary practice immediately. Under no circumstances should people try to pull the cord out of the animals' necks themselves, as this could cause them even more serious injuries.
- Dealing with fire: Dogs and cats must never be left alone with burning candles – even for a few minutes. There is a great risk that the animals will burn themselves or cause a fire.
- Christmas green: Poinsettias and mistletoe are poisonous to dogs and cats. If the animals nibble on it, it can lead to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Therefore, plants should always be placed out of the reach of animals.
- The sweet temptation: Sweets are harmful to animals. Eating chocolate, especially with a high cocoa content, can cause diarrhea, vomiting and, in worst cases, death in dogs. Christmas cookies often contain a lot of sugar, spices, baking agents or alcohol and are therefore not suitable for animals. People with animals should bake special vegan dog biscuits or cat biscuits for their pets to avoid poisoning. The four-legged friends don't get raisins either: larger amounts – around 90 grams for medium-sized dogs – can cause chronic kidney damage.
- Stress: It is important that people take enough time every day for their animal companions during the Christmas hustle and bustle. Dogs and cats are often unsettled during the holidays and do not understand what is happening around them. Sufficient play time and conscious breathing help people and animals alike.
PETA wishes all people and animals a Merry Christmas!