Christmas pet tips. The countdown begins with one of the most anticipated days of the year, where family, good food and gifts enrich an already magical atmosphere. What makes the festivities even sweeter is the company of our dear and beloved pets, who, especially at such an evocative time, share the pleasantness of celebration with us.
In homes decorated with Christmas trees, cribs, festoons, and garlands, the special guests are always the animals, who, although unaware of what is happening, feel and experience the joy of the Christmas season with us. To experience it at its best, here are some suggestions, curiosities, and ideas to inspire you to make this Christmas special on all fours!
Experiencing Christmas together
The first indication is, as always, to also think about the well-being of your furry friend, involving them in your Christmas plans, whether you decide to spend the festivities at home (your own or relatives and friends) or to spend a few days on holiday, perhaps in the mountains. In both cases, you should also consider your pet’s needs and opt for something that will make him feel serene and comfortable. Your pet’s temperament, habits, fears and peculiarities can only be known by us, and based on these, we can choose the most appropriate festive fashion.
Whether it is spending Christmas in front of the fireplace in the company of all the relatives or staying in a hut overlooking the snow-capped mountains, love is undoubtedly the key ingredient to making our pets feel safe in any place and any situation.
Pet-proof decorations
The tree
When spending the festive season at home, a good suggestion is to decorate the house with pet-friendly Christmas objects, furniture, and decorations that will make pets feel comfortable, safe, and unbothered.
First, choosing the tree and its decorations is crucial, especially if you have particularly exuberant and playful cats or dogs. It is best to opt for a tree that has a large steel base and is decorated with plastic, wooden, felt, or cardboard balls to be placed in the highest part (it is best to avoid glass balls that could fall and break and consequently frighten or injure your pet).
Finally, the tree, the symbol par excellence of Christmas, should be placed in a safe area of the house, not in transit or much frequented and loved by our pets (possibly in a corner), to limit their interest and consequently possible disasters.
Christmas lights and plants
Some care must also be taken with Christmas lights, as many animals attract them. When mounting lights, tie the wires tightly to prevent your pet from getting stuck or suffocating. Also, remember to switch them off when you leave the house and leave your friend alone – playing with and biting the electric cables could electrocute him.
Finally, even some Christmas plants may be unsuspected dangers for our beloved four-legged friends. What may be pretty decorations for humans can be toxic and cause digestive problems, vomiting, and diarrhoea if ingested by dogs or cats.
For example, poinsettias, holly and mistletoe: even direct contact of these plants with an animal’s skin or eyes may cause irritation or itching. This does not mean they should be eliminated from our homes, but if anything, they should be placed in strategic positions that are not easily accessible to pets.
From relatives to friends
These indications are less applicable if Christmas is spent at the home of friends or relatives. In that case, all we can do is let our furry friend share the room with its magical decorations (more or less fragile).
Good upbringing and respect for commands can facilitate this type of situation, but animals can be unpredictable and can get into mischief.
What is important is to spend a good holiday in the company of everyone, humans and animals, without fears or tensions, but only with the joy of sharing a long-awaited and cherished moment.
Gift ideas for our pets
Christmas also represents the exchange of gifts or presents made from the heart, and these can also involve our pets, who are often considered equal to other family members. While themed hats, jumpers, and Christmas gadgets (including Christmas costumes) are all the rage, we should remember that the idea that our pets appreciate most is often spending more time together, cuddling, playing, and sharing, but also tickling their taste buds: a box full of biscuits and treats will undoubtedly be well received.
There are also themed panettones, pandoras, and cakes on the market that animals can eat, which is undoubtedly an excellent idea. The advent calendar for dogs and cats is also a fantastic idea. Even more popular, however, could be homemade biscuits.
The homemade preparation of shortbread, cakes and Christmas biscuits is peculiar to the festive season, and it could be great fun to prepare a version for our four-legged friends as a family. Numerous recipes can be found on the Internet, and many involve using healthy, excellent and tasty ingredients for our pets, such as apples, pears, bananas, honey and eggs.
Other gift ideas for pets and their owners
New balls, toys, and kennels can also be trendy pet gifts, depending on personal tastes and interests; particularly lovely and suitable for the period are those with a Christmas theme or in the shape of a Christmas tree, snowman, reindeer, etc. Indulging our furry friends’ hobbies, habits, and interests is the right choice.
Suitable gift ideas for us pet owners or lovers might instead be all those things with the animal world at their centre. First and foremost, books, from those that recount the adventures of the most magnificent and distant creatures to those that tell of the extraordinary friendship between humans and animals.
Equally recommendable are books that deal in a more non-fiction manner with one’s pet, its type or breed, to be useful not only as entertainment but also as a source of advantageous and exciting information about one’s pet.
Gadgets or objects with our best friend as their protagonist are lovely. Mugs, blankets, mobile phone covers, T-shirts, socks, soft toys, bags, jewellery, pictures, and much more are on the market (especially on the Internet). All these objects can be customised with our pet’s snout, thus creating a unique, precious, and unforgettable gift.
The magic of Christmas on all fours
As mentioned above, one of the beautiful things about Christmas on all fours is the sharing of the magical festive season and the many activities that can be enjoyed during these days of rest and carefreeness.
Here are some ideas and suggestions. Indeed, one of the most palpable ideas is to enjoy the warmth of family life within the walls of the home when it is cold or snowing outside, perhaps replicating the recipe proposed in this article or devoting oneself to other Christmas recipes, or watching a good film, on the sofa, with the blanket, in the company of cuddles, purrs or the heavy breathing of our pet asleep next to us, sipping an excellent hot chocolate.
The same can be done by reading a good book, perhaps aloud, to involve the whole family, including animals, who love the sound of our voices. Playing board games, doing a jigsaw puzzle or similar activities according to personal taste can be very enjoyable if shared with the whole human and non-human family.
Similarly, setting up and decorating the house for the holidays, with the Christmas music that has accompanied us since childhood playing in the background, can also be a joyful moment of sharing and merriment, to be immortalised with the classic photos by the tree, in which the pets are the undisputed protagonists.
Equally enjoyable are the walks and outings in snowy landscapes in the mountains or in brightly lit and decorated cities, where the Christmas atmosphere is present in every detail. Whatever you choose to do, indoors or outdoors, at Christmas, everything is more magical when on all fours! I leave you with this simple recipe you can prepare at home for your furry friends!
Christmas biscuits for our pets
Recipe:
Ingredients: 250 g wholemeal flour, one apple, one egg at room temperature, one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation: After washing and peeling an apple, cut it into segments and grate it. Place the apple in a bowl, add the egg and mix. Sift the wholemeal flour, add a tablespoon of oil, and knead until smooth and homogeneous. Wrap in cling film and leave in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, roll it out with a rolling pin and make the shapes you like (Christmas tree, snowflake, reindeer, gingerbread ornament, snowman, and bone or paw-shaped moulds are lovely).
Place the biscuit dough on a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper and bake at 180° for about 25 minutes. Allow the biscuits to cool, and offer them to your pets.
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