Valentine’s Day is a joyous holiday about spreading love and showing others you care for them! There’s lots of ways we can express our love to family and friends, and even our pets. But sometimes when expressing that love to other humans through gifts, we may be putting our pets in danger.
Here are some quick tips and things to watch out for during this lovely holiday.
All true Lilies are toxic to cats. They should be avoided or thrown out if you have cats. All parts, including the pollen are extremely toxic. This applies to potted Lilies (like Amaryllis) and fresh cut flowers (like the Oriental Lily, commonly found in bouquets of flowers). There are Lilies that are not TRUE Lilies, and those are not as toxic. If you are unsure if what you have is a true Lily, research, call a vet, or just avoid all Lilies to be safe. Lilies are not as toxic to dogs, but it’s still best to avoid any pets eating any flowers!
Most fresh cut flowers are toxic due to being treated with biocides to prolong their life in the vase once cut. Do not add the little flower packet into the vase water for fresh cut flowers. Sometimes pets like to get into/drink the vase water. This is one step you can take to help avoid possible toxic contact. In general – keep all flowers out of reach of pets!
Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats alike. Dark chocolate is especially dangerous. You can share your plain strawberries with your pet, just no chocolate covered strawberries!
Bath bombs are not safe to be ingested by pets (or people!). They are a popular gift, and can be enticing to some pets. Be sure to keep those out of reach of any prying noses, incase they smell extra yummy!
Being aware of your Valentine’s gifts around the house will help keep your pets safe. You can include your pets in your holiday activities and share the love with them. Some ways you can do this are by going on an extra walk, taking a car ride, hanging out with furfriends, sharing pet-safe fresh foods with them, or buying them a new toy!
We here at Furball Fitness hope you and your pets have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!