Today I'd like to talk to you about the safety issues of having a tree in a home with curious critters.
I'm sure you've seen it on those funny home video shows and plastered on YouTube where the family pet takes a headlong leap onto the decorated tree and all hell breaks loose and many other things just break.
Amusing? I guess. But the first place I always (mentally) go is the bad place. "What happens if they get an electric shock?", "OMIGOD, there's shattered glass everywhere! What if their paws get cut?".
Jae and I had never had cats before in our lives when we got Violetta and Mercedes. We had both grown up with large dogs as little brothers - his a collie named George and mine a black labrador named Duke. Dogs are not, in general, climbing animals and aside from the occasional fascination with a toy, they're not drawn to shiny stuff just so they can swallow it. Cats, however, are pre-programmed to create as much havoc as
Our first tree was planned to the very last detail for their safety and our sanity.
First, we decided to get a real tree, so that meant keeping it watered.
We figured that it was best that the bottom branched were as high off the ground as possible to discourage temptation so we propped this nine foot monster in a HUGE cache pot that i filled with about four gallons of water and a whole lot of green food coloring.
Three quarters up the tree I tied mono filament fishing line and connected that to two eye hooks on the wall so that, just in case the girls decided to do an Orville and Wilbur Wright off the mantelpiece, the whole damn thing wouldn't fall right over.
After that I had the most inspired idea that I could imagine. I purchased a HUGE roll of 3/4 inch ribbon and sat down to tie up groups of glass ball ornaments...4...5....6 of varying size and finish in silver and gold leaving enough left over ribbon to TIE these groupings securely to the tree.
Continuing with this inspiration, rather than using those wire ornament hangers I got a roll of green twist ties from a garden store and everything else, fragile or not, got the secure tied-to-the-tree treatment. Believe it or not, the only decorations that got broken that year were ones that I (the family klutz) dropped myself.
I'm sure you all know by now which holiday plants are dangerous to your pets but just in case you don't here is a random link to some information:
http://www.suite101.com/content/christmas-plants-toxic-to-pets-a10644
If you're going to have gatherings of friends and family in your home over the holidays, may I make one little suggestion?
Not to be a pet party pooper, but just to be on the safe side, ask your guests not to feed any party foods - or especially alcohol - to your pets.
Yeah, I know it sounds stupid to mention, but you'd be surprised how often people who don't have animals at home will think it's OK to give kitty a taste of bourbon or puppy his first hot wing (don't even get me started on the bone issue)!
And try to make sure that there is enough table space and coasters for your guests' drinks. A cocktail on the floor is like a homing beacon to dogs and cats.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and that it just keeps getting better and better.
Thank you all for being loyal readers. Tell your friends - unless of course you really hate my blog and it's like needles in your eyes each time you catch sight of it. In THAT case.....just tell your enemies and know that I'm happy to help you out!
Ciao for Niao.
- SSG
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