Holiday Safety Tips for the Family Pets

If this years Holiday dinner is at your family home and there are pets in the home keep this one important thing in mind. Any dog or cat will scratch or bite given the correct circumstances. Even if the family pet has never show signs of aggression they still may become scared or feel threatened and lash out. Here are some tips to keep those guests safe and pets comfortable. As the owners of 6 dogs and 4 cats holidays at our home have taught us some important tips. Holiday

Season Pet Safety Tip 1 - Be sure to assess the guests who will attend a gathering by, ages, male, female and if they have any experience with animals. Do the family pets know these visitors and have they spent time with them.

Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 2 - If there are small children on the guest list it will be necessary to keep the family dogs and cats in a separate room. It is better to keep the pets separated from guests and in a quiet place than to experience an accident.

Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 3 - If guests are all adults and the family pets have met these adults it can be okay to leave your dogs or cats loose during a holiday gathering. However, make absolutely sure that the guests know they are not under any circumstances to feed any food to the animals. Turkey and the fixings can be harmful to a dog or cats digestive system.

Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 4 - Make sure that your guests do not spill or leave plates exposed where family pets can get to them. If the guests are eating pre-meal snacks around the home explain to them that those plates must be put up high enough that family pets cannot reach them. Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 5 - Be sure that all guests are aware that family pets are around inside the home and to watch where they step or sit. A dog or cat can have broken toes when a foot is stepped on by an adult or older child, keep their feet safe by avoiding an accident like this.

Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 6 - If the family pets are allowed outside the home in a fenced area be sure to let guests know they are not to let your family pets outside. Let guests know that if they see your pet at a door asking to be let out they should notify you of this. Make it clear that you or a household member is the only ones to let animals out-of-doors during the gathering.

Holiday Season Pet Safety Tip 7 - Be sure that all guest items such as purses, coats, toys, etc. are not in the area where pets can get to these items. It is disastrous for the guest, hostess, and pet if a personal item of a guest is chewed or pottied on when someone is visiting your home.

Holiday Season Pert Safety Tip 8 - Keep pet food bowls up from the floor. If an unsuspecting guest or child were to touch the bowl or food inside the dog or cat may become possessive of their food bowl with strangers and this can cause a bite from your pet.

You are the person who knows the family pets the best so using common sense when having a guest in the home is best.