Pet safety for day-after Christmas shopping

December 26, 1:25 AMDC Pet Care ExaminerErin Paquette

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When it comes to day-after Christmas shopping, pets are usually forgotten as individuals become consumed by the flurry of glossy sales ads that promise major savings on a barrage of useful (and useless) items. Instead of worrying about how their pet will fare with an onslaught of new items in the house however, people tend to rush out the door, hoping to beat the flood of other shoppers who have the same vision of discounted items dancing around in their heads.

But while people are busy bundling up and grabbing the teetering stack of coupons on their counter, they often don’t notice their pets slip through the barely open front door and rush into the icy street, nor do they remember to make sure that their pets are inside the house before leaving for the day.

How do I know? Because I’ve experienced both scenarios before.  Luckily, my pets came out of both situations unscathed. But luck doesn’t always guarantee the safety of pets, which is why you should read the list below before heading out on your day-after Christmas shopping adventure.

Check and Re-Check

It might seem obvious, but make sure that your pets are inside the house before you pull out of your garage. The last thing you want is to come home and find that one or more of your pets have been missing for hours or that your pets have developed a cold from being outside too long.

Check the Christmas Tree

Many people will forget to turn off the lights on their Christmas tree before going out to shop on the day after Christmas. As we discussed in our "Christmas Day Pet Safety" article, pets are often attracted to bright lights and are fond of gnawing on Christmas trees, so the last thing you want is for your pets to chew on the tree, or even worse, the Christmas lights while they’re still plugged in.

Food and Water

In the excitement of Christmas, some people will forget to feed their pets. Many people will also forget to feed their pets on the day after Christmas. This not only leaves your pets hungry and susceptible to becoming sick or moody, but it also means that your pets might look for alternatives to their daily meals.

What kinds of alternatives? Let’s see… shoes, furniture, Christmas candy… you name it, and your pets will probably try to eat it. To avoid this potentially uncomfortable and unsafe scenario (for you and your pets) make sure that your pets have plenty of food and water before leaving for the day.

Clean Up

While it might seem overwhelming to clean up the mess of food, wrapping paper, and newly acquired items that Christmas day created for you and your family, doing so could potentially save the life of your pets. As we talked about during the Thanksgiving holiday, there are many holiday foods that are dangerous or even life-threatening if ingested by house pets. And it only takes one small object — even something as small as a twist-tie — to cause a pet to choke.

Empty Your Bags

Though it’s tempting (and easy) to drop all of your shopping bags on the entryway floor, it’s not safe when you have pets. They can get their head caught in the shopping bags, or they can try and get inside the shopping bag (as pictured above) and suffocate if they get caught and no one is around.

If you are too tired to unload all of your bags at once, consider putting them in a place where your pet can’t reach them, like in a room with the door closed or in the entryway closet.

While each pet has different needs and their own unique way of getting into trouble, using the guidelines above as a basic foundation will help you keep your pets safe during day-after Christmas shopping.

That way, you can spurge without worrying about your pets or any unexpected vet bills.