5 vet-approved ways to stop pets from chewing Christmas decorations

For pet parents, the fun of decorating and partying for the holidays has one notable downside: Pets may find the holiday decorations a bit fun. at a lot of. This can often lead to decorations being clawed, pawed, chewed, or outright eaten.

That’s frustrating for you, not healthy for dogs and cats, and can lead to expensive holiday disasters. So we talked to vets and discovered the best ways to help your pets live with your holiday favorites without causing problems or raising hackles.

Read more: The best pet cams

Start with pet barriers and strategic placement

The best way to prevent exuberant pets from tackling your beloved holiday items is to prevent them from coming close. Ivana Crnec, DMV vet expert at pet tech brand Petcuberecommends placing all jewelry and other delicate items out of your pet’s reach, placing them on higher levels or on counters, walls and tables that pets, such as overly energetic puppies, cannot easily reach.

“If your pet is acrobatic and knows how to overcome your pet safety attempts, install a pet gate or barrier,” Crnec advises. For example, placing a barrier around your tree is an inexpensive and effective way to discourage pet interference while still allowing you to enjoy your decorations. Or you can install a gate like this convertible Frisco model ($75) to the room with all the festivities to help avoid temptations.

For small or young pets with destructive tendencies, you may also choose to crate them during large events so they don’t get overly excited and cause damage.

Apply a bitter spray

Physical barriers can’t deter all pets, but pet owners do have another option: applying a non-toxic bitter spray to the decor. These bitter sprays cause a bad taste that pets are also particularly sensitive to, so they inspect holiday items and then stay away.

My favorite bitter spray is Bitter yuck! By NaturVet ($14)that is plant safe, doesn’t stain, doesn’t hurt pets at all and has a water-based formula that can linger outdoors. However, it is strong, so you should avoid spraying it in too many locations or using it in an area where the spray can be tracked (also keep it very far away from holiday foods).

Avoid edible or toy-like Christmas decorations

Crnec also said some Christmas decorations are more tempting to pets than others. “Another helpful tip is to avoid edible and breakable decorations and trinkets that resemble pet toys and are therefore tempting to mess with,” she suggests. If ornaments look too much like pet toys, they are more likely to cause problems. Also avoid decorations and lights that flash or glow, which can remind cats of playtime.

Therefore, try not to use decor that smells like food or has an attractive scent. That’s not the easiest thing to do around the holidays, but remember that pets are often led by their noses, especially if they get into trouble.

Choose a cat-friendly Christmas tree

Did you know that they make holiday trees specifically for cats that can’t keep their claws off the trees? The FeastiviTREE from Fancy Feast is one of the most notable examples and is currently part of a Fancy Feast giveaway until December 3.

The tree embraces the antics of cats indoors with a large tree base in which cats can relax and explore without threatening the tree. It also comes with tree-based perches, so cats can perch high without being tempted to jump into the branches, and some cat-proof decorations that won’t break if smacked by some curious paw.

Of course, not everyone can get a FestiviTREE, but you can borrow many of the ideas for your own Christmas tree, especially if you’re willing to add a protective tree base that gives cats room to explore safely. Take a few tips and your holiday decorating can go much smoother.

Use an indoor-friendly training collar

Obviously, a shock collar should be a last resort for any pet training. But if you have an unruly dog ​​who has ruined holidays and destroyed large, expensive decorations, you may want to consider a mild shock collar until the holidays are over.

One of the most effective options is the PetSafe Pawz Away Inner Collar ($75). It uses a placeable sensor that you can place on a dining table, countertop, Christmas tree or centerpiece. If the collar (designed for pet collars up to 60cm, do not use on children) comes too close, it delivers an adjustable static shock. The collar runs on AAA batteries and is easy to set up, but only if nothing else works.

Bonus tip: Keep an eye on pets while you’re away from home

You cannot remove pets from your holiday accommodation if you are not at home. But you can keep an eye on them with our expert-tested smart pet cams from brands like Petcube, Eufy and Furbo.

Today’s pet cams have algorithms that can recognize pets and only send you alerts when they are spotted. Some may even try to issue alerts when pets perform specific actions, such as jumping on a couch or chewing on something. They’re not perfect, but you’ll get the information you need about what pets do.

Most pet cameras have two-way audio, so you can listen in and gently encourage a pet to leave the Christmas decorations alone. They can also include a treat launcher to distract pets at the right times.

To complete your pet care sessions, check out this new Petcube collar tracker, find more useful gadgets to care for your pet, and learn how to protect your pet from overheating.