By Jessica Miller
Thanksgiving is an enjoyable time for us all, but less so for our pets. There are a few things we need to be mindful of while we’re enjoying the holiday, in order to keep our pets safe. A rabbit in the backyard might be far enough away from the celebrations to not care, but for your dogs, cats, and hamsters in the same room as you, Thanksgiving can be a potentially dangerous time of year.
Think Food
So many of our much-loved foods are actually toxic to our pets. Dropping some chocolates, onion, garlic, or other scraps may have fatal consequences for our furry friends who decide to pick it up off the floor. Too much of any human food can be dangerous for our pets. After all, we have human food and they have specialized pet food for a reason.
Watch The Kids
If you’ve got a family gathering going on, make sure children are supervised. Not only are they likely to feed your pet food that they really shouldn’t be having, but kids also have a tendency to play rough. If there’s a child in your house, pulling your cat’s tail or chewing on your dog’s ear, they aren’t going to be happy. Not only is it your duty to make sure your pets are safe, but you also don’t want to run the risk of your otherwise placid cocker spaniel attacking someone in an attempt to get away from them.
Give Them Space
Your pets need a safe, preferably quiet place to go to avoid such things, too. This is especially important if you have multiple people over to celebrate. Lots of people and noise can be overwhelming for your pets, so you need to make sure they’ve got another room to go to where they can be alone. This is also a necessity for animals in cages and vivariums. Where possible, try to move them somewhere quiet. Be careful it doesn’t stress them out more, however. It’s down to you to decide what’s best for your pet.
Prevent Escapes
If guests are coming and going, make sure your dog can’t sneak out the front door with them. It’s also worth checking on smaller pets regularly. The last thing you want on Thanksgiving is for your hamster to chew its way free out of stress, or for someone to have visited your snake and not closed its enclosure properly.
Choose Decorations Wisely
Don’t hang low flowers that are toxic to your pet, or in a place that they’ll destroy them. Don’t light candles or have them low down where your pet might knock them over or burn themselves. Avoid anything that will scare your pet or cause potential harm.
Whatever you’re doing this Thanksgiving, keep your pets in mind. No one is saying you can’t have guests over and have fun, but whatever it is you choose to do, make sure your pet will be safe and okay with it. At the end of the day, it’s their house, too, and you’re responsible for their safety.
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