This week: Pets and the Holidays Edited by: Kit  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
Do you buy your pet(s) holiday gifts? If so, what?
Pets and the holidays don't always mix, so please be prepared!
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is all about our furry/feathery/scaly friends during the holiday season.
Kit |
The holidays are coming – for us humans, and for the pets in our lives. Now, to us our celebrations – especially the spiritual ones – are important, but to our furry/feathery/scaly friends they mean change, and a break in their cherished routines. Christmas tends to mean a tree and decorations. There will be more people around, or you may leave to stay with family or friends. Loud, excited kids may be enticed by swishing tails, and fireworks may startle even the bravest pet. It is important, then, to prepare our pets for the holidays, just as much as we prepare ourselves.
My cats love my Christmas tree. They love it a little too much. They enjoy playing with the decorations, but the best fun is to chase each other up and down the tree. When I am present I can tell them for the so-manieth time that they are not, in fact, permitted to do this, but when I am asleep there’s no stopping them. I have an artificial tree and am surprised that the poor thing’s actually in decent condition still. I haven’t yet put it up this year, but I know that as soon as I do, the cats will believe, once more, that I’ve placed it there just for them.
If you have pets, and a Christmas tree, it’s good to secure it as well as possible. Cats are not the only ones who like playing with a tree – my neighbours’ ferrets love theirs, too. Dogs can knock them over. Birds can hide in them. You may not want glass baubles – I often find ornaments all over the living room. And whilst real trees are pretty safe around pets, please note that the oils they produce and any needles they drop can pose some risk – the needles can get stuck in paws and mouths, and can cause irritations, mild stomach upset and blockages when eaten.
There is an old saying that pets are for life, not just for Christmas – this remains true. It’s generally not a good idea to surprise people with a living gift. The responsibility, time and expense that come with a pet need to be carefully considered – they shouldn’t be taken on lightly and certainly not imposed upon a person without their consent. Furthermore, not every (type of) pet suits every person, nor their lifestyle, or environment. A highly energetic working dog is not going to thrive in a small apartment with an owner who’s away ten hours a day and too tired to exercise them properly. Such conditions will lead to an unhappy dog, which will cause undesirable behaviour and, quite likely, chaos and destruction of property. Cats require a lot more attention than people often think. Many small animals need much bigger habitats than they’re kept in in pet stores. Some animals live for decades- tortoises and some bird species like macaws and cockatoos, for example, can live as long as people do and this needs to be taken into consideration before adoption.
If, however, you have done your research and agreed that a pet would be a wonderful addition to your family then a) please adopt, b) have plans to introduce the new pet to any existing pets (something to research, too, as a dog with a high prey drive is likely not going to be besties with your bunny), c) do not declaw the cat! Declawing is illegal in dozens of countries for good reason – it involves amputating a cat’s toe bones and severing the tendons controlling their paws, which often leads to lifelong pain and other adverse health effects. Moreover, if your cat has outdoor access it won’t be able to defend itself and struggle to get away from any dogs or other predators if it does not have its claws. Scratched furniture may not be fun, but keeping a cat active and engaged through play, and having dedicated scratching areas available can help avoid this. Not always completely, that’s true, but that’s a risk cat owners tend to accept and the love and enjoyment of a feline companion more than makes up for it.
If you’re buying presents for your pets, there are many great options available. Special stockings with tasty treats, a wide variety of toys, baskets, blankets… My mother-in-law tends to hand-make our cats fresh catnip mice – those are always very welcome in our household. What I am going to say next probably won’t make me popular, but please do keep in mind that many pets don’t like being dressed up. Especially cats. I know that some are super easy-going, but pets aren’t dolls. They’re not toys. They’re living beings with their own will, and that should be respected. Mine might curl up under a blanket, but they sure wouldn’t like being squeezed into outfits, let alone have booties on their feet. And that’s fine. So, please take your pet’s temperament and preferences into consideration when it comes to dressing them up. They have lovely fur/feathers/scales of their own, after all!
The same goes for setting off fireworks. Some animals are fine with fireworks. My current ones aren’t bothered. Many pets, however, get frightened and stressed so it may be best to not set off any loud ones in the garden. There may be an organised fireworks display near you – which will save you a whole lot of money, too!
For all my words of caution in this newsletter, pets can be great fun around the holidays. Mine love to ‘help’ me wrap gifts and chase little balls of wrapping paper. They do very much enjoy the tree. And sitting down with a blanket and a cat on my lap, drinking hot chocolate and reading a new novel… well, there’s not much that’s better than that.
I wish you and your pets happy holidays!
Kit
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Spiritual: November 19, 2025 Issue [#13457]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
