pets

Many of us share our homes and hearts with four-legged companions. The Canadian Animal Health Institute reports that around 58% of the nation’s households have dogs or cats. Felines slightly outnumber canines, with 8.1 million cats versus 7.7 million dogs. If you’re like many engaged couples, you want to include Max or Fifi in your wedding day. With a few health and safety tips, your furry companion can enjoy the festivities along with you.

Food and Beverage Safety Tips

Maybe you’re fortunate to have a well-behaved companion that doesn’t beg. Or your furry bestie steals food off your plate at every opportunity. Either way, food safety is important when it comes to your pets. You’ll have loads of delicious delicacies for your guests, but some can make your pet severely ill. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association lists several common risky foods:

Chocolate, tea, and coffee
Alcohol
Grape-derived foods
Onions, garlic, chives, and leeks
Macadamia nuts
Salty foods
Raw bones, meat, and seafood

Many of these are toxic even in small quantities, thanks to your pet’s smaller size and body weight. Some, such as onions and garlic, contain compounds that can cause serious illness. Raw animal products may harbor bacteria and parasites. And as for bones, they can break into smaller pieces that can cut soft tissue. The Humane Society of the United States list many more harmful foods and beverages.

You don’t have to redesign your entire menu to ensure your companions’ safety. Quite frankly, it’s an impossible effort. Inform your guests that they should not slip Fido or Fluffy any table scraps. PetMD suggests asking a trusted friend to keep an eye on your pets – just in case their sad-eyed looks get the best of someone. Alternatively, you may want to have someone take your furry friends home after the ceremony.

Flowers and Green Décor

Just as some foods can make your pet sick, so can many ornamental plants. Popular wedding flowers such as lilies, gardenias, dahlias, and hydrangeas can literally poison your cat or dog. Toxic plants also include non-flowering greenery like laurel, eucalyptus, and palm leaves. Your pets may not chomp on your bouquets or boutonnieres, but curiosity could lead them to munch on centerpieces, altar arrangements, and other décor.

So what’s a couple to do? PetMD offers a simple solution: Choose nontoxic varieties. Working with your florist can help you figure out which ones to avoid. The ASPCA provides an exhaustive database with hundreds of entries on flowers, green plants, nuts, and produce.

Door-Dashing Dogs and Cantankerous Cats

Animals can be unpredictable, even if they’re your lifelong friends and you know them inside out. The cacophony of wedding day sights, smells, and sounds can excite or overwhelm your pet. The last thing you want is Spot crashing headfirst into a glass door or Luna cowering and hissing in a corner. Should your pet cause injuries to guests or vendor staff, you’ll be held liable.

Preventing pet-related catastrophes requires a few smart steps. Hire a pet sitter for the day, suggests Wedding Ideas’ Lottie Dainton. Not only will your furry friends be taken care of, but your sitter will also see to their safety and well-being. Dogs should be leashed trained, and if possible, consider leash training cats as well. Cat behavior expert Jackson Galaxy recommends clicker training to ease your feline friend into the practice.

Minding Your Four-Legged Guests

Your wedding is a monumental event, so it’s natural that you want to include your pet. Being mindful of your friend’s safety and needs is key. Keeping pets away from people food and choosing nontoxic plant décor can avoid food poisoning. A trusted friend or sitter can also ensure your four-legged bestie is taken care of. With these safety measures, your pet can stay healthy and happy on your big day.

Taking Extra Care of Your Family Pets During Quarantine

Read through these suggestions for making the most of the COVID-19 lockdown with your pets and making sure they get the love they deserve.

The COVID-19 pandemic might be taxing on human beings, but it is a unique situation for the furry members of the family as well. Cats and dogs are experiencing an unprecedented period of time during which owners are home all hours, which can bring about a mixture of excitement and confusion. Though you’re likely showing a bit of extra love and affection to your pets lately, there are specific ways you can encourage a calm, relaxed attitude when things are tense. Consider these tips and learn how you can best take care of your pets during lockdown.

Pets with a Ton of Energy

Is your dog running around the house more than usual? Have you noticed that the pup is more demanding of your attention throughout the day? Most of the time, dogs are conditioned to be chill during the day when owners are at work or taking care of errands. This is evident in the bursts of energy that a dog has when the family returns to the house. Of course, this is no longer the case for most households. With the family constantly present, a dog might not know how to react and need to suddenly work through these emotions.

While the simple solution to an overactive pup is a walk, you’re definitely not going to be able to keep up with the demands your dog is placing on you during this time. Instead, try to dedicate small chunks of time to play whenever possible. Helping your dog work through its excitement in a healthy, controlled way can limit the odds of the habit persisting throughout the entire lockdown.

A Cat With a Message

Cats are fickle creatures with seriously vindictive personality traits. If you offend a cat in a specific way, you can expect feline retribution. What’s worse, you might not realize what you did wrong. Since most cats are solitary ambush predators that don’t enjoy being in a crowd all day, your constant presence in the house might be seen as an affront. This can manifest in many ways, including a kitty who decides to forego the litter box in order to send you a specific message. Missing the litter box on purpose is a sign your cat is literally pissed.

Since you can’t talk this problem out with your cat and you can’t leave the house the way you usually would, you need to get creative with your approach. In most cases, the cat will decide to pee on items of personal significance to you. This can be shoes, a piece of clothing, or even furniture. To curb the habit, invest in a spray meant to deter cats from this action. When your cat gets a whiff of the spray, it will likely stop showing its frustration in this way.

The Loneliness Is Real

People need other people. Science shows that physical contact and emotional connection play an integral part in a person’s overall health. What most people don’t realize is that the same can be true for pets. Dogs in particular become accustomed to receiving attention from other humans during walks and outings. When this comes to a halt due to social distancing measures, the dog might feel or act depressed from this lack of contact. Showing your pup some extra love during moments when he or she seems bummed can help to distract from whatever lethargic feelings have come about.

While cats and dogs might be loving the added hours with the family, there are bound to be some bumps along the way. When you notice a peculiar habit developing with your pet, address the issue and come up with a sensible solution. Showing this level of love and attention to your furry pals can be a good way to make this difficult time easier on even the smallest members of your group.