Holiday Pet Safety in the Kitchen and Dining Room

Dog at holiday table.

The holidays (that is, the weeks between Halloween and New Year’s) center around food, a fact not overlooked by our pets. Most pets notice each new item or special ingredient brought home and plot to get a taste as soon as you’re otherwise occupied. Indeed, the holidays bring out the opportunist in every pet, so it’s up to us to fashion alternative experiences to the rich, fatty or even toxic foods that humans indulge in this time of year. The key to holiday pet safety is careful observation of what’s going in your pet’s mouth.

The Risks to Your Pet

Whether you’re hosting a family holiday dinner or preparing some dishes to share as a guest, your pet will probably be right under your feet. The good news is that you can control what they have access to, and provide substitutions to keep them satisfied (and out of trouble). 

Holiday pet safety hinges on asking guests not to feed your pet, and to quickly clean up any fallen morsels so your pet isn’t tempted. Monitoring their actions and behaviors during the holidays is also essential. 

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Where Does Pet Safety Fit In With America’s Protests and the Pandemic?

Fluffy cat arching its back

While it may not be the most comforting thought, Americans are not alone in our attempts to make sense of our upside down world. People around the world are struggling to cope with the immense challenges of COVID, and social unrest has reached a boiling point in global and local communities. 

But where do our pets fit into this new paradigm? Pet safety is always a priority, but there are new threats to their normal city-living routines.

Ordinary Living’

There are easily a million pets living in NYC homes, and more than half of them are dogs. In fact, the rate of pet adoption is higher in urban areas than anywhere else – for good reason. City dwellers are keen on providing the best possible lifestyles and living conditions for our pets. 

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This, Summer, Don’t Let Pet Noise Anxiety Surprise You

A dog sitting happily on the floor

Before small children understand that fireworks were designed to entertain and awe, they are often scared. With language, conditioning, and ongoing positive experiences, kids learn as they grow that fireworks are enjoyable and help us celebrate Independence Day, New Year’s and more.

Pets, on the other hand, don’t come equipped with the knowledge that fireworks (and other loud, jarring, unpredictable noises) won’t harm them. When they feel threatened by loud noises, like thunderstorms, construction sounds, etc., frightened pets either hide or flee. Especially for city-dwelling pets, it can seem impossible to shield them from the hustle and bustle that can lead to anxiety symptoms.

To prevent the dangerous and sometimes painful side effects of pet noise anxiety, we’ve got some tips to help you through the summer.

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Do You Know the Signs of a Pet Poisoning? They Might Surprise You

It’s not uncommon for animals to put something they shouldn’t inside their mouths. Like human babies, they experience a great deal of the world through how something feels and tastes. Sometimes they get into things they shouldn’t simply because they’re curious, bored, hungry, or a combination of all three. Pet poisoning is a common outcome of this situation, and it can be very harmful.

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