Celebrating Christmas with your pets

Christmas is so close – Christmas eve is tomorrow! – and we’re filled with the holiday spirit. You can’t escape it; festivities are in the air and the excitement is high. It’s Christmas!

No Christmas is the same: some people spend their time curled up in front of Love Actually with some mulled wine, others are off to somewhere cold for a holiday, still others have gathered their family from all corners of the world and are celebrating their togetherness over a delicious meal. But no matter how you spend it, you want your pet to be there. You want them to have fun. They’re part of your family; your family wouldn’t be the same without them.

So here’s how you can make your pet part of the festivities, so that they have a Christmas they don’t forget.

Take pictures together

Okay, this one is just for you. But still! Taking pictures of your pet with the family can help you imprint all the lovely memories of your time together. Time is precious, and these pictures will help you remember this Christmas season. After all, Christmas is about celebrating those you love.

Bake them treats

Ah, what pet doesn’t love treats? One way to make this Christmas special for your pet is to bake them something delicious. You can make some pumpkin and peanut butter treats for your dog or some good old-fashioned doggie Christmas cookies .

For cats, you can bake them some lovely salmon cookies – these treats only have three ingredients, so it’s easy to make. Or you could cook up some lovely cheese biscuits for those felines with more cheesy taste. Cookies with catnip are always a favourite (only some of the cookies in the linked list have catnip, but we’re sure they’re all delicious).

If you’re not into baking, fear not! There are plenty of treats going around this Christmas. There are dog candy canes, gingerbread men for dogs, mice shaped treats for cats – the world is full of delicious snacks for your furry pets. And if Christmas-themed is not how you roll, simple pop over to your local or online pet store and get your pet their favourite treats. Which cat or dog would turn up their nose at their favourite treats? It’s guaranteed happiness.

Get a cake!

Treats are lovely and are a great way to keep your pet happy throughout the festivities. But a cake! Now a cake is something else. A cake marks a special occasion; it signals the importance of the event. And everyone – humans and animals alike – love cake.

So this Christmas, get your pet a cake that shows them how much you care. There are plenty of Christmas cakes for cats and for dogs; several should be available online or at your local pet stores. Get them a cake that’s big and fancy and lets them indulge – because they’re worth it.

(All this being said, don’t feed your dog and cat actual Christmas cake. This isn't good for them; a cake made for humans should be eaten by humans and your pets deserve a cake made for them. Try not to feed them scraps off the table as well. You never know what might react badly with them and cause them to fall ill.)

Make a pet advent calendar

Have you ever used an advent calendar? It’s a calendar that begins around a month before Christmas; each day in the calendar can be torn off to reveal a chocolate or candy inside. It’s great for kids; it gets them excited about the festivities and it gives them candy. It’s great for adults too because who doesn’t like candy?

Now you can make one for your pet too. Simple use a cardboard box and draw dates with a flap on them. Open each flap on the corresponding day to give them a treat. You can also buy ready-made pet advent calendars.

(We know this advice may be a bit hard to pull off two days before Christmas, but store it away as an idea for next year. Christmas will come again.)

Unwrapping presents

Dogs love mayhem and cats love string, so unwrapping presents is a great activity for any pet you may have. When your family gathers around to open presents, bring them into the fun. Your dog will love shredding the paper (make sure they don’t eat any of it) and your cat will play with the ribbon or roll around in the debris. Unwrapping presents is pure chaos – but it’s chaos that’s loved by everybody and your pets should be part of it.

Buy them presents

But don’t just make them part of the unwrapping presents ceremony; give them presents! It’s very easy to put together a pet stocking or to wrap up a new toy for them under the Christmas tree. This way, your pet will be as excited about the evening as everyone else. It’s an excellent way to pamper them.

Holiday stress

This is just a gentle reminder that Christmas can be stressful for your pet, and part of celebrating it with them is making sure they’re taken care of. If you celebrate Christmas with family and friends, then that means a lot of new people in your home; this can tire out your pet or make them anxious. Make sure they have a quiet space away from the festivities where they can just rest if they need to. Always check on them and remember to give them treats for their good behaviour.