Pet-Safe Holiday Decorations

Cover Your Tree Stand: Dogs and cats alike seem to be irresistibly drawn to the standing water in Christmas tree stands. Since this is a breeding ground for bacteria, you really want to discourage your pets from drinking out of this particular water bowl. Covering stand with an attractive Christmas tree skirt will add a decorative feel to the tree, while preventing your pets from drinking the standing water.

Pet-Safe Holiday Decorations

1) Create Pet-Friendly Scents: I love the smell of cinnamon, apple cider, and cookies baking. And many of my friends re-create that scent this time of year with deliciously scented potpourri and candles. Unfortunately, potpourri and candles are hazardous to pets. Potpourri can be toxic if eaten by a curious animal, and birds and cats alike find it hard to resist a flickering candle. Along with the risk of your pet singeing herself, an unattended burning candle can prove to be a fire hazard if knocked over by a rambunctious pet.

Instead of using potentially toxic substances, recreate those same scents with pet-friendly items. Baking a batch of holidaydog cookies for example will fill the air with the same delicious scent as human cookies, and Fido can share in the treat (since I have a tendency to eat the batter before I ever get to the baking part when I’m making human cookies, my waistline thanks me greatly whenever I choose to bake cookies for the dog instead).

You can also create simple, inexpensive, and attractive centerpieces of oranges and cloves to fill a room with a delicious scent. DIY Life offers some great tips on making these simple and inexpensive centerpieces.

Couch potato

I am often asked if greyhounds need a lot of space for running. They do enjoy running in an enclosed area, but we never allow them to be offleash outside. The sight of a bunny or ..... would be too tempting to resist and off they would go. In no time, they could be in the next county wondering where they are, when they gave up the chase. Most of their time is spent on the couch, earning their reputation of "couch potatoes".