It’s hard to believe the holidays are here again! We all get caught up in this very busy time, regardless if you are the one cooking the family meal, traveling to see family, or having family visit you. It is a fun, but hectic time, and it’s easy to “forget” about your fur kids. Here are 5 tips to keep them safe this Thanksgiving.

1)       Do not feed any cooked bones to Fido or Fluffy, no matter how much they may beg you! Those bones can splinter and lodge in their throats and stomachs, resulting in an emergency trip to the vet!

2)       Make sure you keep any chocolate out of reach of Fido! Some dogs can smell that chocolate even when the box has not yet been opened. Put it in the cupboard, where it cannot be reached.

3)       Secure your garbage can lid! I’m talking about the one in the kitchen. Once you have sat down to enjoy your turkey dinner, more than one dog or cat has decided to make a meal of the garbage can contents in the other room.

4)       Do not leave any food out unattended. This includes hors d’oeuvres as well as any “leftovers” in the kitchen. I have seen dogs clear an entire table of nicely arranged hors d’oeuvres when no one was paying attention.

5)       Are you having wee folk visiting you? You don’t want your dog or cat biting or scratching anyone. Do not allow children to play with your dog or cat unsupervised! Do not allow children to hug your dog or cat! Give your dog and cat a “safe room” where they can hang out and not be stressed by your young visitors.

Make sure before the festivities begin, you also communicate these guidelines to those who also live in your household. Getting everyone “on board” before the festivities will mean you have more than just yourself to ensure your dog and cat are going to be safe.

I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving. Take some time out of your day to remember those things you are thankful for.

This article was originally published in “The Pilot”, the Redwood Shores Community Association’s newsletter.