Take your dog to a Christmas light show. Dogs love car rides, and adding a Christmas light display will amp up the enjoyment for your pet, and the whole family. There are tons of drive-threw Christmas light displays that start in early December all over the Kansas City area. You can even pick out a few neighborhoods that get into the Christmas spirit to drive around if you don’t want to take your pet around a large group of cars and people.
Make pet-themed ornaments. These days you can get custom ornaments of any kind online and in many stores. Take a family picture with your pets to display as an ornament on your Christmas tree. You can even take a few with your pets in front of the tree and make an ornament for next year. FYI these make fantastic gifts for pet owners.
Whip up a Christmas treat just for your pets. The holidays are a time for special treats for humans, so why not give something special to your pet? Break out the fancy wet food for your cat, or make a healthy snack that any pet will enjoy. Even something as simple as a can of tuna will get your pet in the Christmas spirit!
Wrap presents. Doesn’t sound like something a pet would be interested in, does it? My cat absolutely loves to “help” wrapping up Christmas presents. Do all your wrapping on the floor to make it easy for your pet to supervise. Buy some extra bows for your pet to bat around, but watch it closely so it doesn’t try to eat anything it shouldn’t.
Make a family Christmas card. Include your pets in your annual Christmas card. If the pet doesn’t like to stay still for photos do it while they are lying down. You can opt to dress your pet, but I’m only a fan of that if the pet really enjoys it.
Let them unwrap a gift or two. Buy your pets some presents and wrap them up. My old dog even had her own stocking that was often fuller than mine (thanks mom & dad). Assist them to help them unwrap their gifts after the rest of the family has opened their presents.
Little things during the holidays have a way of becoming must-traditions. Incorporating your pets as much as possible will help the family look back on these holiday memories with a lot of joy and laughter. Just make sure to follow safety guidelines and know what your pet can handle and you’ll all enjoy the season. Happy Holidays from all of us at Quivira Road Animal Clinic!
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