Access to dangerous materials is biggest holiday pet safety hazard in and around homes

Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters reports that the biggest pet safety hazard consistently witnessed by pet sitters during the holidays is a pet’s access to dangerous materials in the home that can be easily ingested.

PSI recently surveyed its nearly 8,000 member businesses to determine the top three hazards professional pet sitters encounter during the holidays. More than 10 percent of the association’s members participated in the survey. While the majority of respondents, 63 percent, said that access to dangerous materials was most prevalent, 25 percent cited electrical appliances left on in the home and 24 percent referenced a pet’s access to dangerous plants.

Other hazards noted were a pet’s access to holiday food and decorations and issues related to weather.

Nancy Haggerty of Paws and Claws Pet Care in San Rafael, CA, believes that the holidays are some of the most stressful times for pets because human behavior changes so much.

“From a pet's perspective, homes become filled with loud noises, strange people, tasty treats and odd plants and ornaments,” Haggerty said. “We, as humans, become so busy with the festivities that we can easily forget what our pets' needs are during this time.”

Dolores Barton of Duby's House and Pet Sitting in Grand Island, NY, has seen this time and time again.

“One client had more than 30 shopping bags with the cord/string handles all over their home,” Barton said. “One of the cats was stuck in a handle when I arrived. I advised the owner how dangerous this was, but upon my next visit the bags were still lying around.”

November and December are traditionally the busiest months for the pet-sitting industry as pet owners fulfill their shopping, travel and entertainment obligations.

Marsha Wheaton, owner of Dog Mom at Your Service in Traverse City, MI, encourages pet owners to plan ahead and take the necessary steps to keep a pet’s routine.

“Keep life as normal as possible,” Wheaton said. “Make sure pets get regular walks, cut out all the extra treats and don’t let your pets get pushed aside with all the hustle and bustle and added activities.”

Planning is key. The PSI survey indicated that the majority of member businesses begin taking reservations three months in advance and cease taking reservations one week prior to the holiday.

Most professional pet sitters can quickly identify hazardous and potentially harmful material in the home and are proactive in communicating these hazards to clients. Some of the most frequently recommended cautions are:

Holiday treats, such as rich, fatty scraps, bones from pork and poultry, alcoholic beverages, chocolate and other sweets and candies can be harmful or toxic to pets.

Pine tree water can be poisonous, so be sure to cover open tree stand bases. The tree should be secured to the wall with strong wire or twine because a toppling tree can cause serious injuries to dogs and cats.

Keep these poisonous holiday plants away from pets: holly, hibiscus, Christmas roses, the poinsettia and the berries of the mistletoe.

Many holiday decorations are hazardous to pets. If decorations are not pet-friendly, keep them, as well as lights, out of a pet’s reach. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that house fires increase considerably during holidays.

Remember that the most common pet-related emergency that occurs over the holidays is the consumption of human pharmaceuticals. Make sure all prescription and non-prescription drugs are safely stored.

For more information on holiday safety or to locate a professional pet sitter in your area, please visit www.petsit.com.