Follow these tips to keep your furry friend safe and happy

It’s the holiday season, and families are headed to their holiday destinations. As a pet owner, you may be wondering what to do with your furry best friend.

While some families may consider taking their pets with them on the family vacation, others leave them, and proper planning is needed for all pets left home ahead of your holiday.

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• Here are some options for where to board your pet while you are away:
  Pet sitting: hire a professional pet sitter or enlist the help of a friend or family member to care for your pet.
• Traditional boarding (dog kennels or catteries): placing pets in boarding kennels or catteries while away is the best choice; check, arrange in advance, and confirm if they are licensed as caretakers.

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Tips on how to keep your pets safe with you at home:

• Avoid holiday food hazards by ignoring puppy-dog eyes and that cat winding his way around your ankles and keeping people’s food out of reach of pets.
• Prevent gifts from being eaten: cats and dogs are fascinated by ribbon and tinsel, and they may be tempted to eat them. Ribbons and tinsel can be especially dangerous for our furry friends because ingesting those hazardous materials often requires surgical removal by a vet.
• Keep cats and dogs away from candles and scents: real candles are fire hazards that can be easily knocked over by curious pets. Plus, your pet can get burned by brushing up against the flame.

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