How to Keep Pets Safe From Your Holiday Decor

The holidays are a magical time of year—even for pets. To them, there’s nothing better than batting a ball of tinsel or chewing up a misplaced wooden dreidel. But the decor that brings so much holiday cheer can also be harmful if you’re not careful. To have a great, safe holiday season, you need to know what decorations to avoid and what to get instead, how to properly secure your holiday trimmings, and—if the worst should occur—when to contact your local emergency vet.

Keep decorations away from your pets

Aside from keeping holiday items out of your home completely, the best strategy is to do everything you can to keep decorations out of the reach of your pets,” said Douglas Kratt, DVM, and, at the time of our interview, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Common holiday dangers include string tinsel, lights, broken ornaments, potpourri, chocolate or sugar-free candy containing xylitol, and batteries from gifts and electronic decor, Dogs are also attracted to homemade salt-dough ornaments, which can cause salt poisoning if ingested.

Many holiday plants are bad for pets to consume, and several, such as lilies and mistletoe, may be life threatening if eaten. But despite the urban legend that has led some cat owners to believe otherwise, poinsettias usually aren’t a concern. They can cause digestive upset, but they’re “not highly toxic,” said Kratt, who owns the Central Animal Hospital in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

If you’re unsure whether something is harmful to your pet, consult a pet poison control list prior to bringing any plants, decorations, scents, or holiday treats into the home. Both the ASPCA and the Pet Poison Helpline maintain robust lists.

No matter if you use menorah twinkle lights or Christmas lights, you need to keep them secure and out of reach. Cable ties and sleeves can prevent pets from tearing down loose light strings, and LEDs—such as the GE Energy Smart Colorite multicolor lights or the white lights of the same line—emit very little heat, so your pet won’t suffer burns in case they do nab a strand.

As for cutesy costumes, it’s safest to avoid them entirely. Noël Duan, founder of the dog lifestyle brand Argos & Artemis, bought her dog Artemis jingle bells to wear around the ankles. “I turned my head to decorate some cookies [and] she decided to pull off all the bells,” Duan said. “I learned my lesson.”