Christmas With Pets
Turkey, chocolate, tinsel and tree-climbing cats — how to get a dog or cat through Christmas without a vet trip, plus what is actually worth buying.
18 guides in this topic
Christmas is the one week of the year when the house is full of things a pet should not eat and nobody is watching the floor. This hub covers what is genuinely dangerous — chocolate and the festive food list, turkey bones, raisins in the pudding, tinsel and tree water — alongside the parts that are just fun: jumpers, bandanas for the dogs who will not tolerate a costume, and Santa hats.
Nothing here assumes your pet enjoys being dressed up. Plenty do not, and the photograph is not worth the stress.
For presents, the advent calendars, stockings and festive treats and the full Christmas presents for dogs page are all held stock, posted the next working day.
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Festive Christmas Dog Treat Recipes (Vet-Sensible & Easy)
Keeping Your Dog Safe at Christmas: Hazards Checklist
Best Christmas Jumpers for Dogs in the UK
A knitted jumper cut for a dog, bought by chest measurement and worn for the walk, not the whole day. Which dogs need one, knit versus fleece versus print, and how to get the size right first time.
Christmas Plants and Pets: Poinsettia, Holly, Mistletoe and Lilies
Poinsettia has a far worse reputation than it deserves. Lilies, which nobody warns you about, can kill a cat.
Christmas Outfit Ideas for Dogs (That They Will Actually Wear)
Sorted by how much your dog tolerates being dressed, from a bandana they will not notice to a full outfit for the ones who genuinely do not mind.
Christmas Gifts for Dog Walkers, Groomers and Sitters
What the people who look after your dog actually want — and roughly what to spend.
How Much Chocolate Is Toxic to Dogs?
The honest answer is that it depends on three things, and the type of chocolate matters more than the amount.
Is It Cruel to Dress Up Your Pet at Christmas?
It depends entirely on the animal, and they will tell you. How to read whether your pet is tolerating it or enduring it.
My Dog Ate a Mince Pie — How Worried Should I Be?
Mince pies are one of the genuinely dangerous Christmas foods, and the reason is the dried fruit rather than anything else in them.
Are Raisins Poisonous to Dogs? Yes — and the Dose Is Unpredictable
Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants can cause kidney failure in dogs, and nobody can tell you how much is too much for your dog.
Can Cats Eat Turkey? What to Give and What to Keep Back
Plain cooked turkey is one of the better things a cat can have from the Christmas table. The bones, the skin and the trimmings are not.
My Cat Ate Tinsel — What to Do
Do not pull it. Swallowed tinsel or ribbon can anchor in the gut, and pulling can do serious damage. Ring your vet.
Christmas Presents for Dogs: What They Actually Use
Most dog presents are opened, sniffed and abandoned by Boxing Day. Here is what gets used in February, sorted by what your dog is actually like.
My Dog Ate Chocolate But Is Acting Fine — Should I Still Worry?
Looking fine proves nothing in the first few hours. Here is why symptoms lag, how the dose actually works, and when "wait and see" stops being reasonable.
Can Dogs Eat Turkey? What’s Safe at Christmas and What Isn’t
Plain turkey meat is fine for most dogs. The bones, the skin, the stuffing and the gravy are the parts that cause the Christmas vet visits.
Cats and Christmas Trees: How to Keep Both Standing
Why cats cannot leave a Christmas tree alone, which decorations are genuinely dangerous, and what actually works to stop them climbing it.
Dog Advent Calendars: What to Look For (and What to Skip)
A buyer’s guide to dog advent calendars — what is actually inside them, which are worth it, and how to work out whether 24 treats is too many for your dog.
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