This article covers the most common Christmas pet safety risks and how to support your pet's wellbeing in a positive, science-based way.
🐾 1. Christmas Trees & Decorations: Festive but Risky
Decorations are magical to us — and irresistible to pets.
Christmas Safety Tips:
- Secure your Christmas tree to avoid tipping.
- Choose shatterproof baubles and keep fragile items high up.
- Hide trailing wires and cable chew hazards.
- Avoid tinsel in cat homes to prevent ingestion emergencies.
Understanding your pet's natural curiosity is a key part of pet behaviour training, helping prevent festive accidents.
🍫 2. Festive Foods: What’s Safe — and What’s Not
Food-related emergencies increase significantly in December. Many Christmas staples are dangerous to pets:
- Chocolate
- Mince pies & Christmas pudding (raisins/sultanas are toxic)
- Onion, garlic, stuffing
- Cooked turkey bones
- Alcohol and rich, fatty foods
Safer options include species-appropriate treats or using enrichment feeding — something we teach in our online pet courses.
🏡 3. Visitors, Noise & Routine Changes
The festive season often brings busier homes, louder environments and unpredictable schedules. For some pets, this can be overwhelming.
Supportive Strategies:
- Create a quiet retreat for your pet.
- Maintain familiar routines where possible.
- Use enrichment activities to reduce stress.
- Reinforce calm behaviour using positive reinforcement techniques.
These principles are core elements of effective pet behaviour training.
🕯️ 4. Seasonal Scents, Plants & Decorations
Some festive favourites can pose risks to dogs, cats and small pets.
- Keep candles and melting wax well out of reach.
- Avoid toxic plants such as poinsettia, holly and mistletoe.
- Use essential oils and diffusers cautiously, especially around cats.
Environmental awareness is an important part of good animal care education and helps keep pets safe during seasonal celebrations.
🎁 5. Make Christmas Enriching, Not Stressful
With the right activities, Christmas can actually be a fantastic enrichment opportunity.
Try:
- DIY scent games
- A “12 Days of Enrichment” challenge
- Short, positive training sessions
- Foraging toys and safe chew items
Enrichment supports confidence, reduces stress and boosts behaviour — all essential for festive wellbeing.
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Visit 👉 https://www.pet-ed.co.uk/
to explore two flexible subscription plans designed to support pet owners with ongoing, science-based learning.
🐾 Essential Plan
🌟 Premium Plan
🎄 Wishing You & Your Pets a Safe, Happy Christmas
With the right preparation and a little extra knowledge, Christmas can be calm, enriching and enjoyable for every member of your household — including your pets.