Christmas dangers for dogs and cats, and how to book Christmas care

Oak & Paw: family-run dog and cat care in Potters Bar

Christmas is full of things our pets should not eat, chew or squeeze past. This guide is a short list of what to watch for, then an honest explanation of how Christmas care works with us.

If your pet eats something on this list, don't wait for symptoms. Ring your vet straight away. Find your vet's out-of-hours number now, before Christmas Eve, and save it in your phone.

Food: dogs

Keep these well out of reach, including bins, handbags and low shelves:

• Grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants. They are in Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake. They can cause kidney failure in dogs.
• Chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Leave chocolate decorations off the tree, or hang them right at the top, and keep presents with chocolate in them out of reach.
• Xylitol, a sweetener in some sugar-free sweets, gum, baked goods and nut butters, and possibly in sugar-free candy canes. It can cause a sharp drop in a dog's blood sugar and liver failure.
• Onions, garlic and leeks, in gravy, stuffing and sauces. They can cause anaemia, even when cooked.
• Macadamia nuts and alcohol.
• Bones from the turkey or other meat. They can choke a dog, block the gut or damage it from the inside. Put them straight into an outdoor bin.
• Rich, fatty leftovers and food cooked in fat, oil or sauces. They can cause tummy upsets, and rich food can trigger pancreatitis, which can be serious.
• Mouldy food and bin waste. Keep food waste secured and out of reach.

Food: cats

• Chocolate is poisonous to cats too.
• Grapes and raisins, and the Christmas treats made with them.
• Onions, garlic and anything rich from the table. Human food is not for cats.

Plants: mainly cats

• Lilies are extremely dangerous to cats. Every part of the plant, including the pollen and even the water in the vase, is dangerous. A cat that brushes against a lily and grooms the pollen off can get acute kidney failure. Keep lilies out of a home with a cat, and if you are given a bouquet, check it for lilies. If your cat may have come into contact with one, ring your vet immediately.
• Holly, ivy, poinsettia and mistletoe can also make pets poorly. Keep them out of reach.

Decorations

• Tinsel, ribbon, string and wrapping. Pets swallow them, and tinsel can cause serious blockages. If you can, skip the tinsel. Tidy away presents and wrapping as you go.
• Baubles and edible decorations. Glass baubles can shatter and cut paws, and swallowed ones can cause blockages. Choose unbreakable ones and hang them higher up. Chocolate and sugar-free sweets on the tree are a risk too (see above).
• Fairy lights and cables. Pets chew cables, and lights can give a shock. Keep cables out of reach and switch lights off at the mains when you are out.
• Secure the tree in a sturdy base so it can't be pulled over or climbed.

Visitors and the festive routine

• Set up a quiet place for your pet to retreat to before the guests arrive, such as a den for a dog, or for a cat a room guests stay out of, with food, water, a litter tray and a high spot to watch from.
• Let pets come to new people at their own pace. Don't make them mix.
• Keep feeding, walks and toilet breaks at their usual times. Familiar routines are calming.
• Don't feed table scraps. Stick to their normal diet.
• Keep drinks out of reach. Alcohol is toxic to pets.
• Check your pet's microchip details are up to date.

Booking Christmas care with us

We look after dogs and cats in our family home, never in a kennel or a run, in small numbers, with lots of walks and a photo and video update every day. We also do walks, drop-in visits and house sitting at yours. Cats are welcome for stays and for visits at home.

Peak dates and the extra charge

We add £20 per pet per night on peak dates:

• Christmas week, 24 December to 1 January
• UK bank holidays
• The school summer holidays

The booking form includes this in your total before you send anything, so there are no surprises.

What that looks like at Christmas

Example: one dog boarding for 5 nights from 24 to 29 December is 5 x £60 = £300. Each extra pet at yours adds £10 a night for house sitting, plus the peak charge for that pet. Walks and drop-in visits start at £16 for 30 minutes and £24 for 60 minutes; the booking form shows your total, including any peak charge, before you send anything.

How booking works

1. Pick your dates on our website and see your total straight away, including the peak charge.
2. Pay online using the payment link we send you, with your dog's name as the reference. Your booking is confirmed when payment lands. Until then the dates are not held.
3. Tell us about your pet: food, walks, routine, vet and emergency contact.

We ask for up-to-date vaccinations, your pet's own insurance and your local vet's details. Cancellation notice is longer over Christmas, and our Terms page has the details.

An honest word about availability

We keep numbers small, so we can't take every request. We don't know in advance how quickly Christmas will fill, and we won't tell you it's about to. There's no early-bird price and no deadline. Booking earlier simply gives you certainty, and gives us time to plan. If we can't take your dates we'll say so promptly, so you can make other plans, and we'll suggest another date if we can.

If your plans change at the last minute

Emergency care is available any time: the same day at ours, or a visit at yours using a key safe. We reply as soon as we can, and we tell you the price before you pay.

WhatsApp or call us on 07957 377694, or check dates and book online.

We're insured through Protectivity Pet Business Insurance, including Public Liability and Care, Custody & Control cover for dogs while they're with us.