A Festive How To: Get Your Pet Ready For Christmas

During the festive period, everyone is getting prepared and into the festive spirit. Nowadays, dressing up pets in seasonal attire has become increasingly popular. Santa outfits accompanied with hats are always a hit, as well as Elf costumes complete with ears. However, dressing up your pets is not the only way that you can get your pet involved in the festivities!

Throughout this guide, we’ll be giving you tips and advice on how to get your pet ready for the festive period, and how to  involve them in the festivities themselves!

When it comes to pets, a collar is vastly important in order to keep them safe and sound. A festive collar and leash combination means that you can walk your pets (or let them outside) in style this season while keeping them safe in case they get lost. Festive collars are available for all kinds of pets including Dogs, Cats, and even Ferrets!

While your pet needs to wear a collar to keep it safe, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a festive collar. Chances are that, in the run-up to Christmas, you’ll be wrapping up some presents. So, why not take a length of your prettiest gift ribbon and tie a lovely bow around your pets collar for some extra festive fashion? Just make sure it’s not big enough to get on your pet’s nerves!

During the Christmas period, as we said in our previous post, food is one of the most welcomed parts of Christmas. When it comes to decor, it is rather common that people will have special cutlery and decorative plates for their festive feasts, so why should our furry friends be left out?

Treat them to a festive food and/or water bowl as a fun way to add to your existing holiday decor! If you don’t want to buy homeware that’s dedicated solely to the holidays, try a red or green dish that can be used both during the holidays and for the rest of the year as well.

If you’ve got your dog a special Christmas bowl,why not get them some snacks to put in it? While you’re eating your chocolatey Christmas goodies, it can be tempting to give your pet some. However, while they may be watching every move you make while simultaneously drooling, giving them chocolate is not always in their best interests.

Not to worry, there’s an alternative! If your pet has a bit of a sweet tooth, why not get some pet-friendly treats? Pet-friendly chocolate isn’t too expensive and comes in many shapes and sizes ranging from bars to chocolate drops. There are even toys and machines that you can put the chocolate treats in that will help to keep your pet entertained!

With it being colder in the Winter months, it might be worth buying your pet a new blanket. Whether they nap in front of the fire, have their own kennel or even sleep on a bed, an extra festive blanket will help to keep them warm as well as bringing that extra bit of festivity.

As an affordable way to accommodate your pet’s comfort, you’ll also be able to add to the look of your holiday decor and simultaneously protect any items (or even flooring) from damage!

When it comes to Christmas, there’s one accessory that is perfect for nearly all pets. Antlers are often associated with Christmas due to Reindeers and all the songs that accompany them, so could they be more of a perfect fit?

Antlers are great for family photos or even for dressing your furry friend up for parties. Don’t forget that antlers aren’t meant to be worn long term and you should supervise your pet while they’re wearing them.

Are you overenthusiastic about Christmas and want to involve your pets in the festivities? Dressing up your pets in Christmas costumes is the way to go! There are a variety of different costumes to choose from, ranging from Santa outfits, Reindeers, and even Elves! However, if those are a bit over the top for you, there are some more general winter themed outfits.

General inter themed outfits such as jumpers or coats would be better value for money as they aren’t just being used for the holiday season, but can be used during the colder months. Jumpers are probably the best option and help to keep your pet warm!

If your pet sleeps in their own bed, investing in a festive-themed bed would be a good idea! Try to blend your pet’s bed into your holiday decor by getting a Christmas themed pet bed. As an alternative, get a bed in festive colours such as Green, Red or Gold that blend in with your decor and you can use them throughout the rest of the year!

Buying them a new festive bed will give your pet somewhere new to relax this Christmas and let them sleep in comfort on a Christmassy bed. A new bed would also be perfect for sitting in front of a roaring fire, and will definitely make sure that your pet will have a comfortable rest over the Christmas period!

While preparing your Christmas dinner, it’s often seen to be a special treat to leave your pets some bits and pieces on the side, so they can enjoy their own “mini Christmas dinner”.

However, not all human food is safe for your pets to eat. Some human foods can cause digestive upsets which end up being messy and undesirable. Some animals, such as dogs, find some foods are far more dangerous and can have potentially fatal consequences. If you’re unsure what foods aren’t safe for your pets, here are a couple of links so you can check: click here and here. If your dog has managed to get into the Christmas choccies and you’re unsure of what you should do, then read this article by clicking here. Be as cautious as you can!

While there are quite a few human foods to avoid feeding to your dog, but there are also some yummy staples of a Christmas dinner that your dog can safely eat in moderation. Foods such as Turkey, certain Vegetables, Cranberry sauce and Eggs are all fine for most pets to eat when given in moderation.

If you have a pet, you should know how important it is to show them attention. This doesn’t change over the Christmas period, so remember to dedicate plenty of time to them on Christmas day! Cuddle them, give them a good stroke or play with them to show them that they’re the best pets in the world!

Unfortunately, however, just like us humans, dogs will want the festive period to last forever. With xtra walks and treats all the time for no reason, why wouldn’t they?! Try easing your pet slowly back into a routine – plan some good weekend walks for January once you’re back at work or if you’ve given them extra food, gradually cut down their portions!

“Decking the halls” is one of the oldest Christmas traditions, but when you have pets, it’s important to remember to take some time to ensure the safety of your decorations (and your pets themselves!). This is particularly important if you have pets that love to climb and explore the house as they could pull down decorations or get tangled up.

Mischievous pets can also get caught up in all sorts of festive calamities if you don’t keep an eye on them! Also, don’t be surprised if your dog leaves you a “biological” present under your Christmas tree. To your dog, having a tree in your home is the ultimate convenience, the outdoors brought inside – a downstairs toilet!

Remember to secure all your decorations to the walls and don’t let your furry friends go crawling through them!

Christmas is usually seen as a time to chill out, relax and have fun with the family. Your pets however, don’t see the festive period in the same way. Just like young children need tiring out so they’re not full of energy, so too do your pets! If you have a cat let them outside or if you have a dog, take them for a walk and throw the ball until they’re tired.

Tiring your pets out makes them use up all of their energy and allows them to be able to sleep throughout the festive fun. Not only this but it means that they’re more likely to nap with you after your Christmas feast – rather than running around  waiting to go out!

Christmas is a time centred around family and friends so naturally, it’s likely that you’ll invite them round either for a meal or just for a Christmas get together. While this may seem like an everyday occurrence to you, having too many people visiting at once can stress your pets out! Many animals do love visitors and will gladly play with them, but even the most outgoing of need a place to retreat to for a timeout.

Ensure your pet has a safe corner or room where it can rest and not be disturbed if it wishes to use it. Some of your visitors may be children, so you need to make sure that they understand how to treat your pets. Make sure that the children understand your pets warning signals and that they know when to leave your pet alone. Remember to never leave new children unsupervised around your pets.

While Christmas is supposed to be based on family and friends, it’s also about gifts. When it comes to pets, they can sometimes be overlooked when it comes to Christmas gifts, but don’t ignore them!

Alternatively, you may put a lot of thought – and maybe even money – into buying your pet a special Christmas present that will really make them happy, but pets are just as happy with a cheap new toy or game that they can bring to you to play with!

Whether it’s a pull rope toy or a pull along string toy, make sure it’s something interactive so that you can play with it too. You can then use this to bond with your pet and give them a great time playing with it, rather than having to find things to do on their own!

Believe it or not, you can actually buy stockings and advent calendars especially for your pets! These festive funnies usually contain pet-friendly products such as various types of treats and toys.

These advent calendars have special treats for each day until Christmas and some even have special pet chocolates. You’ll now have something interactive to do with your pet each day!

A well-known Christmas tradition for many families is the taking of an annual Christmas photo. Whether your dad dresses up as Santa and the rest of you as elves or everyone is forced to wear a festive jumper, these photos are an excellent memento to not only stick on the fireplace but also to show how your family has grown and aged over each Christmas!

So, when it comes to pets, don’t leave them out! Pets can often steal the limelight when it comes to a picture. They can also help to increase the cuteness of a photo by a significant amount. Why would you even think of leaving them out?!

Not to mention, Christmas or thank you cards can be expensive!  Take a festive picture of them in the snow or in a pair of antlers and include them in a family photo. It’s sure to put a smile on the faces of your family and friends when they receive it, or on your own when you look back on it in a few years!

“Best thing about Christmas (apart from having family round) is letting the pets join in the fun 🐾❤️ Ella loves a jolly Christmas hat ” – Lorraine Poole

“#TheRugSeller I love how my dogs get involved with the festivities lol” –  Mel Crumpton

“ What I love most about my house at Christmas, is that I get to share it with my 2 Whippets, and after a lovely walk, we can come home and get comfy on the sofa. But first Skye has to show off her purple reindeer hat to all the children on our walk ” – Louise Godfrey

A hilariously funny submission from Sharon Vos-Arnold!

Now your pet should be as prepared for Christmas as you are and maybe even as excited! With a costume ready and some presents under the tree, there should be enough ideas in here to prepare your pets for Christmas. Your pet will learn to love the festive period as much as you do.

If you’re looking to decorate your home for Christmas, we’ve got you covered! Discover 16 ways to make your home feel festive, click here.

What will you be dressing your pet up as this year? Let us know below!

Summary

Article Name

A Festive How To: Get Your Pet Ready For Christmas

Description

With Christmas coming up, you can't leave your pets out of the festive fun! Discover our tips and ideas on how to include your pet and make them festive!

Author

Isaac Slough

Publisher Name

The Rug Seller

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