15 March 2023
Mother’s Day can be a difficult time for some people, for one reason or another. If this is you, please remember there are people to talk to either friends, strangers or helplines.
If you are celebrating Mother’s Day with your mum, children, in-laws, mother figure, family etc. Here are a few tips to create a cat dog friendly Mother’s Day.
Spring Flowers
Spring Crocus, Daffodils, Tulips and hyacinths can all cause your dog problems and could even be fatal. If your dog has ingested any of these plants it can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrheoa, seizures, increased heart rate or respiratory restrictions.
All varieties of Lilies, spring crocus, daffodils, Tulips and hyacinths are toxic to cats and can even be fatal If your cat ingests any of these plants it can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration and lack of appetite.
If you are concerned your cat or dog has ingested any plants contact your vet as soon as possible.
Vase of flower
Keep presents out of reach
Pets can be little terrors when there are presents laying around, some may have smells that your pets just cant resist. If your pets want to get into your present they will find a way, somehow! If the gift contains small parts these can be harmful if chewed or swallowed and the small silicone packets that are used in a lot of packaging should be removed immediately. Don’t forget to leave all food related gifts high and out of reach or even in a closed cupboard!
Crinkly paper, sticky tape and flowing ribbons all seem like great fun for our 4-legged friends, however these should be picked up and hidden away from your pets. If they were to eat any of them they could cause serious blockages, some dyes used in paper could also cause irritation. Swallowing ribbons or any other materials can result in an obstruction which often requires veterinary assistance.
Dangerous human foods
Sweets and chocolates are a common Mother’s Day gift. If you are gifting or receiving any of these, be sure to keep them out of reach of your pets.
We often have a lovely Sunday roast for Mother’s Day in our house, if this is something you do, be sure to keep your dog away from the food whilst preparing, cooking and eating. Make sure to ask guests to make sure if they do drop any food on the floor they pick it up immediately and do not allow your pets to get the food. Many human foods are dangerous for pets and some can even be fatal.
Watch out for the door
If you have people coming in and out of the house throughout Mother’s Day be sure to keep dogs and indoor cats away from entrances. They can easily dash out unnoticed so whilst you are expecting guests it is a good idea to keep a collar on your pets with up to date information on just in case.
Please remember all dog microchips have to legally be kept up to date. Although it is not yet a legal requirement it is advised that cats are micro-chipped and kept up to date. A law is due to come into force at some point during 2023 that means all cats must be micro-chipped by the time they reach 20 weeks old.
Fire Hazards;
Make sure to keep all candles out of reach of your pets and out of the way of tails as they can easily be knocked of surfaces or cause burnt noses! We have found the great alternative to real candles is battery LED tealights, however it is still important to keep these out of reach of dogs and cats in case they chew them and cause them self harm.
Create a pet friendly space
Always provide a quiet area for your pets to escape to if it gets too busy, loud or generally too much for your pet. Overtired and overexcited pets can have some chill time on their own and less social pets can feel safe.
For dogs that are not always happy with guests, provide visitors with some tasty treats to offer your dog so they associate guests with something positive, also don’t be afraid to ask guests to ignore your dog if they are boisterous until they have calmed down.
And most of all, have a lovely day!
