People & Pets
Snoqualmie Valley Living
November 21, 2003
HERE COME THE HOLIDAYS
By Kim Howard
The turkey, the ham, the wobbly card table with a gingerbread house and a Christmas tree, which most dogs see as a, well, ya know, and the cats go "Whooopeee! Let's race to the top!" Heaven help you when some well wisher leaves a Whitman's sampler wrapped up under the tree and Fido knows it's there 10 minutes after you leave for work. Don't get us started on tinsel.
Here are some tips for surviving the holidays with pets. First and foremost, please crate train your dog now and save yourself some heartache in a month. It's easier than having your lab knock over your sister's toddler or spending an evening in the ER after elderly aunt breaks her hip. Again, I'd like to remind you that tinsel is bad.
Moving on to cats and mangers. Cats love sleeping in a manger's warm, cozy straw. If you would like a nativity, plan ahead. Get a squirt bottle. Do not add porcelain characters until you have enforced that the manger is NOT a place to sleep, or you will have a headless nativity, and no one wants to see that. Again, every vet we've ever spoken to has asid that tinsel is bad.
Fragile ornaments 101: To some dogs, your beloved and beautifully-decorated Christmas tree is nothing more than a potty with tennis balls. Marking is normal. Place fragile ornaments up high (like on a shelf) and once again, get the squirt bottle out.
For lights and extension cords, now this is tough one. Get some PVC pipe to run those cords through, as cats love cords (chewing them, that is).
Let's go back to marking the tree. Not an unusual thing. Don't be surprised when you bring in that $75 Noble and the dog treats it as a piddle post. Bring your tree in and train with a squirt bottle that marking the tree is "not okay." Then, string the lights. I have found tying fishing line around the tree is a trick many dog owners and parents use to avoid a Christmas tree catastrophe. Another handy decorating helper is "Fun-Tac", available in craft stores, and is earthquake proof. This is great for candles, ornaments, anything that can be knocked over.
While you're out at the craft store, why not stop at the health food store and pick up some "Rescue Remedy" by Bach Flower Remedies. Since the holidays can be really stressful for humans and animals alike, this is a good thing to have in case anxiety rears its ugly head.
Things not to leave under the tree (even wrapped) include: Whitman's samplers, smoked salmon, Hickory Farms. . . you get the idea. Now for unwrapped gifts -- anything you value. Don't set your dog or cat up to fail. Simply moving something out of harm's way is a simple yet truly proactive solution to protecting your new cashmere sweater, so make time to pick up. Now for your children's new Legos and Lincoln Logs. Let us start with an acronym for LEGO. Lengthy. Expensive. Gastrointestinal. Ordeal. The O can also stand for "Oh my gosh, look at that vet bill!" Be really careful. Again, crate train now and save headaches later.
You may have a picture conjured in your mind of that Rockwell Christmas with your family and pet under the tree opening gifts. This picture is only seen on a mug -- not reality. Be organized during times of chaotic gift opening. Your pet doesn't know the difference between Lincoln Logs and chewy bones, or that baby sister's squeaky toys aren't his own squeaky toys. Consider containing your pet in a different are during the ribbon-flying, paper-ripping festivities. After the amusement, carefully pick up toys, paper, etc. Inform your children as much as possible that they must keep new toys picked up, or in a specified area.
Tinsel is bad. Along with poinsettias, mistletoe and chocolate. Make sure that your kids know that fudge is NOT a treat for Sparky, or 15 minutes before guests arrive you'll be opening your new Bissel early.
Be mindful of your senior dog. The joyous arrival of visitors and small children may be too much for Old Yeller. As I said earlier, don't set your pal up to fail. Prepare a quiet and comfy place for him away from the holiday flurry. Your dog may have always been great with kids, but in his later years has developed some aches and pains that he can't tell you about. Please play it safe with your pet and your company.
After all of this, if you are considering giving a pet to your family for the holidays, good for you! ALong with careful planning, a new dog or cat for Christmas can be a wonderful memory to last a lifetime. One way to go about doing this is to wrap up dog- or cat-related books, toys and accessories for the kids. AFTER the holiday rush, pick out your new pet as a family. Shelters are overflowing with loving, well-trained and deserving animals. It is a far nobler act than purchasing a puppy or kitten from a pet store and contributing to the exploitation of helpless animals by way of puppy mills or backyard breeders alike.
If you are leaving town, get someone responsible to care for your pets, and provide an identification tag, with your cell phone number or a family member's number on it to ensure that if someone finds your beloved pet they can contact you. Please license your pet.
In closing, try and remember that Christmas memories are not always what you have planned. One year Mom made elaborate cookies shaped as marionette dolls with each of my classmates' names written on them in frosting for a Christmas party in my classroom. They were hung on the tree with red ribbons in a way that would make Martha Stewart proud. Unfortunately, our lab made his way into our living room, knocked over the tree, and proceeded to devour 30 cookies. All that was left was slobbery ribbon hanging from a smashed-up tree.
This disaster has become one of our favorite holiday memories. Be lighthearted because usually things are not as bad as they seem. Perhaps you'll look back and laugh. . . eventually.
Now, a recipe your dogs will enjoy more than a Whitman's Sampler. Taken from Dog Fancy magazine's December 2003 edition are Rachel Friedman's oatmeal go-bananas training treats. You'll need:
Vegetable shortening
3-4 large eggs
1/3 cup canola or corn oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1 cup skim milk
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups of whole wheat flour
3-6 cups of uncooked oatmeal, depending on texture preference
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet with vegetable shortening. Place eggs, honey, oil, molasses, milk and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix by hand. Add the flour and oatmeal and mix until it has the consistency of cake mix. Spread the batter in a prepared pan. Let the dogs lick the spoon and bowl.
Bake one hour, turn off oven and let the treats sit until the oven cools. Turn out onto the counter or a board and using a pizza cutter or knife, cut whatever shapes suit your fancy (or break into pieces -- dogs don't care). Cover and refrigerate. Or freeze for up to 2 months.
Kim Howard can be reached at Three Rivers Rescue
by calling (425) 888-9322.
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