Pets and the Holidays… A Perfect Match?
When it comes to pets and the holidays, we try to have all the bases covered. In fact, we’ve written a bit about it before. With that in mind, it’s clear the combination of pets and the holidays – especially with regard to safety – is powerful enough to warrant ongoing attention.
The holiday season provides an opportunity to reflect on what matters most. Certainly, holiday pet safety is a top priority, but if you were to spend an entire day with your pet, would it include favorite holiday movies and some scrumptious food? We thought so!
Kickin’ It
We move at breakneck speeds during the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. There’s just so much to do! Would your pet enjoy a little downtime with you right about now? If cuddles on the couch sound like the right choice, we offer the following suggestions for the best holiday-inspired pet movies:
- I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
- Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- A Dog Named Christmas
- 12 Dogs of Christmas (and the sequel Great Puppy Rescue)
- The Search for Santa Paws and Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups
- Adventures of Bailey: Christmas Hero
- The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, and The Dog Who Saved the Holidays
- Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever
- The Nine Lives of Christmas
- Santa Buddies
Curl up together with your pet’s favorite blanket or pillow and stream pet movies all day together. It’s the perfect antidote to holiday stress and chaos!
Special Treats
It might be fun to pair your movie marathon with a homemade treat or two. We really like this easy dog treat recipe:
- Mix 2 cups unbleached all-purpose or whole wheat flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 cup peanut butter, and 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- Add water as needed until it becomes a soft dough
- Roll out onto parchment paper until the dough is thin (but not too thin!)
- Cut out cookies with holiday-shaped cutters
- Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes
For your cat, we think this recipe really hits the spot:
- Using a food processor, blender, or stand mixer, combine one undrained 10 oz. can of salmon, 1 egg, and 2 cups whole wheat flour
- Add water to make dough that’s tacky but not sticky
- Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness
- Cut with holiday cookie cutters
- Place on parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
- Allow treats to get a bit brown and crunchy
- Cool before serving and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks
Pets and the Holidays
However you decide to combine pets and the holidays, we’re sure you and your best bud will have a great time together. If you have any questions about holiday or winter pet safety, our team is always here for you! From all of us at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital, we wish you and your family a Happy Holiday!