Making a list and checking it twice - how to prepare your pets for the festive season
From food to fireworks and everything in between, we've put together a heap of ideas to help your four legged friends enjoy Christmas to New Year just as much as you!
We’ve made it to the end of 2021 and its officially that time of year where we’re balancing spreadsheets of gifts to make sure we haven’t missed anybody out. And while we’d like to remind you to make sure you’ve bought your partner a gift before you start shopping for the dog, we do have some excellent festive suggestions for your four-legged companions.
But first, we’d like to start with a reminder about Christmas/New Year treats that are not good for our pets:
- Chocolate and any other caffeinated products – highly toxic for both cats and dogs. Just don’t.
- Grapes and raisins – their digestive systems find these toxic and hard to process which is no fun for anybody.
- Cooked bones – they aren’t good for your pets because they can splinter. Stick to raw meat and bones if you’re whipping up a Christmas feast for them.
- Nuts – particularly macadamia and walnuts.
- Alcohol – no Uncle Reg, it’s not funny to get the dog drunk.
The good news is that there are some really great treats for your pets that means they can tuck in with the same gusto as you intend to do so.
For the pet that likes to pretend it’s worldly and cultured but in actual fact is incredibly picky, we have Laila and Me’s Table Scraps which you can pop on top of their meal without them noticing but is actually packed full of kangaroo, fish, bee, crocodile, lamb liver and wild bore.
For the pets that can never choose between the fish or the chicken, throw them a Freezy Paw snack which is yummy but actually healthy. These treats are loaded with essential nutrients such as Omega-3, protein, Vitamin A, B6, B12, Vitamin D and Vitamin B as well as iron and niacin. We won’t tell them if you don’t.
And last but not least, for those pets on the adults table looking for something to round out their Christmas meal with something a little sweet, the Bell and Bone Beef and Manuka Honey chew sticks will be a firm favourite. These sticks are packed with collagen which is a superfood for adult and elderly pups.
And for the day after, Boxing Day, when you are lolling about the house eating leftover ham, rethinking that last glass of wine, leaving the couch as little as possible?
Well we’ve got boredom busters for the cat AND for the dog which you can load up so you don’t have to entertain them while you’re in recovery mode. We’ve got to be honest though, if you’ve got small people and lots of new VERY loud toys, you’re going to have to take that up with their grandparents… we’ve got nothing to fix that problem for you.
And then on to the next celebration – New Year! We know that nearly every two legged animal is a fan of fireworks but very few (probably none) of our four legged friends are a fan. If you’ve got dogs who are very anxious when it comes to loud noises we suggest you give them some of these doggylicious calming cookies and pop them in this fetching Thundershirt. Like swaddling an infant, the anxiety vest applies gentle, constant pressure to calm all types of anxiety, fear, and over-excitement issues in dogs.
All that’s left is of course all your new year’s resolutions which we hope include being kind to yourself, taking time out for pet cuddles and generally just loving yourself stupid!
Have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
Love WONDERPETS xoxo
