The Best Holiday Gifts for Cats

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Getting the perfect gift for the fuzzy feline in your life can be a challenge! These gift ideas are sure to please and keep your kitty content this holiday season.

Toys 

  • For the playful cat, toys can make a great gift. There are many types of toys available, so you can find the perfect one for your cat!
  • Does your cat like to chase things? Check out the traditional feather wand or the automated “Teaser” cat toys. Feeling crafty? Try making your own stick toy by tying a string onto a clump of feathers and glueing this onto a small dowel.
  • Does your cat like catnip? Try making your own catnip toy by filling a sock with catnip then using a rubber band or string to tie it closed.

cats

Furniture

  • Cat trees are always a good gift. Cats love to get up high and check out their home. Cat trees come in many variations. I would recommend shorter cat trees for older cats and taller ones for younger or agiler cats. If your cat likes to scratch check out cat trees with scratching post bases.
  • Cat beds are a great gift for the sleepy cat in your life. Try and pick a soft bed, that is easy to wash and place it in your cat’s favorite spot. Many cats love sleeping in the sun, so place the bed by a window.
  • Scratching posts are great to minimize scratching and keep your cat healthy. Cats scratch to mark their scent and to file their nails down. Scratching posts range from very simple to very fancy. Simple cardboard scratching pads can be found at most pet stores. Some of the fancier scratching posts have twine that can be replaced when it is worn down.

Treats 

  • Cat treats can be a great present for your cat this holiday season. Check out our previous blog posts for cat treat recipes. A slight change in diet can also make a good gift. Try adding a can of wet food or a different type of pet food. Most cats love wet food, so this is a special gift for the holidays.

Cats can be difficult to understand, but choosing a gift for them can be easy. These gifts will help make this holiday season special for your cat! Let us know what presents your cat likes this holiday season on our Facebook page.

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How to Involve Your Pets in Christmas

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Christmas is a special time for family and a lot of families include fur-children too. That’s why it’s a great idea to try and involve your pets in the Christmas celebrations. And if you’re wondering how to do that, we have some great ways to include the four-legged family members this year.

 

Take a Christmas photo together

We all love getting the family together for a festive family photo. This year make sure that your pet is in the photo as well! Grab your pet and an extra Santa for the perfect (and complete!) family portrait. You can use it for Christmas cards, put it in an ornament or frame it for the perfect holiday keepsake.

Get them a special gift

Wrap a gift and put it under the tree just for them. Just be sure that if it’s a fragrant gift of treats to wait and put it under the tree Christmas morning. Their curiosity may get the better of them and they may try to break into it. Eating ribbon or string can wreak havoc on their digestive systems, so it’s best to leave those gifts locked away until it is time to open it up.

Bake them their own Christmas treats

Most of the holidays are spent nibbling on delectable foods. However, almost everything we eat is far too rich for our pups to have. Why not take a few extra minutes in the kitchen to make them their own delicious Christmas treats? There are a lot of easy recipes you can whip up for your furry pal in no time.

Bring them along to look at Christmas lights

One of the best parts of the holiday season is all of the twinkling Christmas decorations. It’s always fun to jump in the car and drive around looking at lights. This year instead of leaving your dog at home, bring them along with the whole family for a chance to see how festive your neighborhood looks.

 

Spending time with family is one of the most important parts of Christmas. We get a chance to give our loved ones gifts and shower them with love during this special time of year. Including your pet is only the natural thing to do!

 

Related Posts:

The Best Holiday Gifts for Cats

No Bake Snowball Treats for Your Dog

Easy Thanksgiving Treats to Make for Your Dog

 

Book Early For Wet Noses Pet Sitting Holiday Services

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December is a busy time for a lot of us. Between holiday parties and visiting family, you’re often away from home for hours, if not days at a time. In fact, according to The American Pet Products Association (APPA), pet ownership is at an all-time high, with 66% of U.S. households—or 86.9 million homes have one or more pets. And more than two-thirds of those homes will need to find reliable pet care for the holiday season. That’s why it’s important to book early for any holiday services you need during the bustling holiday season.

Make sure to book Wet Noses Pet Sitting early to make sure your pet gets the best care.

It is important to call for an appointment as soon as you possible. Our schedules fill up incredibly fast during the month of December. We are licensed, insured and bonded, with highly trained pet sitters that will keep your pets happy and healthy while you’re away.

As Patti J. Moran, PSI founder and president states, “just finding a pet sitter in an online directory—or even on a nationally-publicized site—doesn’t ensure that person is a legitimate, qualified pet-sitting business,” Moran explains. “Anyone can post a profile advertising pet-sitting services, so it’s important for pet owners to take a closer look to ensure they are hiring a ‘real pet sitter’ to care for their pets.”

Why Hire a Pet Sitter for the Holidays?

Christmas decorations make the home more hazardous, so even if you’re away from home for a few hours, your pet can find all sorts of trouble to get into.

  • Trips to visit family
  • Long days shopping
  • Holiday parties

The holiday season is undoubtedly a time full of activity. From shopping to parties and quality time catching up with family, we spend most of December celebrating and spending time with our loved ones. But that doesn’t mean we should leave our furry family members at home to fend for themselves.

Book today to make sure your pet has a safe and happy holiday season too!

 

 

Holiday Pet Dangers

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The holidays are a crazy time for us and an even crazier time for our pets!  At Wet Noses Pet Sitting we love your pets like our own. We want to be sure they are as safe as possible this holiday season.  Read up on our list of holiday pet dangers, be safe and enjoy your holiday season without any pet emergencies!pet dangers

 

Family and friends coming in the house

The holidays are a wonderful time to visits with our friends and family but this can cause stress for some pets.  If your pet does not do well with large groups of strangers, let your pets have a nice break in a quiet place with a healthy treat.  Even pets that love company can take advantage of the situation by running out an open door or stealing non-pet friendly foods from guests.  Make sure your guests know what is ok for Fido and let Fido take a nap when needed.

 

Tinsel and ornaments

As cute as it is to watch your kitten climb the Christmas tree, keep an eye out for ornaments that can be eaten or easily broken.  If you have a curious cat, forgo the tinsel for the year.  Cats love to chew on string-like items and due to the barbs on their tongues they cannot always spit them out, forcing them to swallow that shiny piece of trouble.  If you have a dog that likes to play with ornaments, put them a little higher on the tree.

 

Food items

We humans love our holiday treats and we want our pets to enjoy the holiday cheer as much as we do.  Be sure to give treats in moderation and avoid these dangerous yummy items:

  • Chocolate – Chocolate, especially baking chocolate is trouble for all pets.  Something to keep in mind is that all animals handle chocolate differently so if your pet gets some call your emergency clinic for advice.
  • Fat and bones – What dog does not dream about stealing the turkey off the counter?  Cooked bones are huge problems for pets as the bones can splinter and the fragments can puncture your pet’s insides.  Fat and grease can cause terrible digestion problems and in large quantities can require hospitalization.  If you would not eat it, neither should your pet.
  • Bread dough – Baking is wonderful but bread dough contains yeast with can expand in a pup’s stomach, causing all sorts of trouble.
  • Grapes and raisins – Raisins are often included in holiday baking and many pet owners do not know that grapes and raisins are just as toxic as chocolate.  Even though they seem healthy, get a good dog bone instead.

 

Holiday plants

We do love our beautiful holiday plants but be wary of leaving accessible to your pets.  Holly, mistletoe and poinsettias are particularly dangerous and tend to be front and center in our holiday decorations.  Even my cat, who never eats my plants (and we have many, many plants in our house) took a second look at the poinsettia I brought in.  Sometimes moving a plant or bringing in a new one can peak the interest of the most disinterested plant. So, when bringing home these favorites keep an eye on your pets and move the plants out of reach. Read about more plans that are poisonous to pets.

 

Garbage

What more do I need to say?  All sorts of bad things go in the trash and your dog is just waiting for you to get distracted and set down the trash bag.  Party time!  Make sure all trash is secured and make sure it makes it outside to the bin! Any cooked bones should be put right outside to eliminate any risk.

Candles

My cat is notorious for melting her whiskers on candles as soon as my back is turned.  Now that she is older, candles are only burned in locations where she cannot reach when we are in the room.  Keep in mind candles often smell like candy and cookies and can entice your pet to take a quick peek at the flame. This can easily turn into melted whiskers, a flame burn or even worse, a wax burn.

 

Wrapping paper and ribbons

Ribbons are favorites toys for cats as long as they do not swallow them.  If you are unsure if your dog will behave, keep the presents tucked away when unsupervised.  Make sure your kitty will not chew the ribbons off the packages!

Keep these holiday pet dangers in mind and enjoy your holiday season.  No one wants to take a trip the emergency clinic over the holiday season. If you have concerns about something your pet has gotten into, do not hesitate to call them or take a trip into the vet if needed.

 

We love the clinics listed below for 24/7 emergencies and we know you will too.

Fort Collins Veterinary Emergency Clinic – 816 South Lemay Avenue, near Lemay and Riverside in Fort Collins – (970) 484-8080
Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists – 4120 Clydesdale Pkwy, just south of Centerra – (970) 800-1106

 

Happy Holidays!

Black Friday Shopping for Your Pets

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It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. Once our bellies are full, it is time to start thinking about the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday. After all, it is the perfect time to find the most affordable presents for our loved ones. And we can’t forget about our furry family members this holiday season. There are a lot of great Black Friday deals just for them. We’ve compiled a great list of both online and in-store deals to help you navigate the sales.

Pet Smart

Store Hours – Sales online happening now!

Online deals 11/26-11/27, in store sales 11/27

Petco

Store Hours: Closed on Thanksgiving Day. Hours vary by location

Petco is running both in store and online deals this year! Unlike other companies they opt’d not to publish a physical Black Friday ad this year.

Some items include:

  • Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Whole Hearted Dog and Cat Food
  • Buy 1 Get 1 Free Cat and Dog Treats
  • Buy 1 Get 1 50% off Dry Cat and Dog Food*
  • 50% off Cat Food Variety Packs
  • 50% Off You and Me Orthopedic and Memory Foam Mats
  • 20% Off West Pay Toys

*In Store Only

They’re also offering 50% Off entire stock Holiday Tails Collection for Cats, Dogs, and Small Animals for those who need stocking stuffers still!

Wal-Mart

Store Hours – Time varies by location

Walmart 2020 Black Friday Ad

Photo from blackfriday.com

Costco

Store Hours – Closed on Thanksgiving Day and will open at 9 a.m. on Black Friday.

Costco Black Friday 2020 Ad

Image from passionforsavings.com

After you know where to shop you need to find out what you want to get your best four-legged friend.

Here are our top products that your pet is sure to love:

For the Cats:

  1. Catit Senses 2.0 Food Tree: Give your cats a meal or treat while also providing physical and metal stimulation. Also check out the Catit Senses 2.0 Digger!
  2. Novelty Cat Scratchers: These scratches also server as a festival holiday decoration! A perfect gift for any cat in your life.
  3. Yeowww! Catnip Toy: Made in the USA and filled with organically grown catnip these cat toys are durable! The Yellow Banana is the most popular and makes for a great stocking stuffer.
  4. SPOT Skinneeez Mouse Catnip Toy: Ideal for a cat who likes to destroy their toys. Skinneeeze Mouse are stuffing free and filled with catnip.
  5. Doc & Phoebe’s Indoor Hunting Cat Feeder: Are you or a friend living with a cat that likes to pretend that your bedroom is a NASCAR track at 2AM? This feeder can help solve that problem by turning that zoomies energy into hunting energy. Comes with three feeders.
  6. Little Dove Pet Teepee: Looking for a new pet bed? Little Dove makes a wide variety of quality pet beds, made from 100% cotton canvas and New Zealand Pine Poles. Little Dove beds aren’t just for cats, but small dogs as well.

For the Dogs:

  1. LickiMat: LickiMats come in a bunch of varieties to satisfy the needs of any dog. They’re a great way to provide physical and mental stimulation. Also for cats.
  2. P.L.A.Y. Globetrotter: One of their many sets of themed toys. These are sure to be a hit with everyone! The fried chicken from the P.L.A.Y. American Classic set giggles. Check your local pet store for individual toys.
  3. Benebone: Benebones come in a variety of flavors and sizes. Made in the USA, these toys use real-flavoring to make their toys a nylon-chew dogs can’t resist. Perfect for the heavy chewer in your life. Also comes in a two pack for the smaller dogs you know.
  4. TUFFY Dinosaur Destructosaurs: This LARGE dog toy is great for the big dogs in your life. Standing at almost two feet tall, the Destructosaurs is double stitched with four layers of fabric. Did we mention it’s also machine washable
  5. Outward Hound Invincibles: This little gecko squeaks and is stuffing free! Great for a dog who is more gentle on their toys and takes longer to destroy them.
  6. Messy Mutts Double Silicone Feeder: Have a messy eater? These place mats are a great way to keep dishes in place and food from getting everywhere. Also for cats. Being dishwasher safe is a huge plus!

Still not sure what to get? Head on over to your local pet store and talk to their sales associates. They’ll help you find the perfect gift for your four-legged friend.

 

With all these deals and ideas, you are sure to find the perfect present for your pet this holiday season!

 

What Can My Cat Eat On Thanksgiving?

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Thanksgiving is an exciting time of year for pet parents and their pets. They get to meet new people and possibly beg for some tasty turkey. Many pet parents (me included) want to share some of the wonderful food with our kitties, but this is not always a good idea. This blog will include what you can share with your kitty and some yummy treats so that your kitty can participate in the festivities.Thanksgiving

What can you share with your cat? 

Cats can eat a very diverse diet including meat, fish, some fruit and vegetables. However, their diet cannot include processed human food, foods high in sugar or foods with extra salt or seasonings.

1. Green Beans

A few green beans, fed occasionally is actually good for fluffy, but these aren’t the green beans in your green bean casserole. Keep your kitty’s green beans simple by steaming them until soft. Before cooking cut the green beans into small, 1/2 inch chunks.  For a special treat mix in some chunk tuna or wet food. Feed these as a treat or with your cat’s meal for a special Thanksgiving treat.

2. Baked Squash and Carrots 

Again, feed in moderation squash and carrots are good for your kitty. Make sure the squash and carrots are fully cooked before feeding it, as undercooked veggies are indigestible for your cat. Some people like to bake the squash at 350 degrees until soft, but you can also steam them (again until soft). Make sure you do not add any oil or seasoning to these vegetables. The fully cooked squash and carrots can be served mashed up or cut up in small, 1/2 inch chunks.

3. Turkey 

Cats can join in on this aspect of Thanksgiving fun. Make your kitty his or her own special turkey or set some meat aside. Cats cannot handle the seasoning or baste you put on your turkey, so simply bake the turkey in the oven, plain. Bake the turkey until fully cooked, raw turkey can make your kitty sick. Make sure you choose lower fat portions of the turkey and remove any bones before feeding. Cut the turkey up into small chunks or shreds. This can be feed as a treat for a few meals, like on Thanksgiving day. Turkey can be high in calories so feed only a small amount.

 

 

Special Thanksgiving Treats

Want to make your kitty something special for the holiday, try out these treat recipes special for cats.

Tuna Yum Yums

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1/2 cup of non-fat milk
  • 1/2 can of tuna
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or fish oil
  • 1 beaten egg
  • Optional: a teaspoon of catnip, mint, or parsley

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place parchment paper on a cookie sheet
  2. Mash or cut the tuna into small pieces, mix in the flour and milk
  3. Pour in water and vegetable oil, then mix well
  4. In a separate dish, beat the egg
  5. Mix the beaten egg into the tuna mix
  6. Mix well, until the mix becomes dough-like
  7. Shape the dough into small balls, about the size of blueberries, and place on the baking sheet
  8. Cook the dough for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Stick a toothpick in to check that the treat is fully cooked
  9. Cool for an hour before feeding to your kitty and make sure not to overindulge them

 

Kitty Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of tuna or salmon
  • 1 teaspoon of honey
  • 1/2 can of your cat’s favorite food
  • 1 teaspoon of dry cat food or treats

Directions:

  1. Combine all of the wet ingredients in a bowl
  2. Pour into a Tupperware or small casserole dish
  3. Top with dry food or treats
  4. Serve a small amount to your kitty

Feed this casserole in moderation, 1-2 tablespoons per day. Store in a closed container, in the refrigerator, for up to a week.

 

While most foods on the Thanksgiving table are off-limits for your cat, these treats and tips can help make the holiday special for your cat. Let us know how your cat likes these treats by commenting on our Facebook page or commenting below!

 

Halloween Safety Tips for Pets Header

Halloween Safety Tips for Pets

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Halloween Safety Tips for Pets Header

 

You can keep your pet safe this Halloween with our Halloween pet safety tips. It’s the time for ghouls, ghosts, and candy! But not everything is fun for your pets.
 

Make sure your pets have an ID tag

 
Pets can get lost during Halloween. Make sure your pets are wearing an ID tag or have a microchip in case they run off.
 

Create a clam place for your pets to relax

 
The constant ringing of the doorbell can be pretty stressful for both cats and dogs. Most of our pets are highly attuned to and affected by the sound of our doorbell ringing. They can often go bonkers at a single ring. Let alone a series of rings in a short amount of time. Set your pet up in a quiet back room with a radio or TV playing softly to drown out the noise. Noise generators like the ones found on mynoise.net can be soothing. This will help keep them safe and calm during the peak hours of trick or treating.
 
All pets should stay inside during Halloween, but Halloween can be an especially dangerous time for cats. Black cats, in particular, are targets for naughty neighborhood kids. They can be chased, shot at with BB guns, or otherwise messed with by kids looking to get into mischief. In our home, we make sure to lock our cats indoors from late afternoon until the next morning.
 

Be careful where you place lit candles

 
Lit candles add atmosphere but can turn into a hazard. A swinging tail or a startled cat can send a lit candle flying. You don’t want to be calling the fire department on Halloween.
 
Instead, consider battery operated candles. These pose less of a fire hazard and you won’t have to worry about them burning out during the party.
 

Keep chocolate and sweets out of reach

 
Most of us know that chocolate is toxic for dogs. But candy, in general, can cause a lot of gastrointestinal distress to our pets. Dogs don’t exactly seek out candy, they will pretty much eat anything that catches their noses. Cats can also get into candy but are less likely. That’s why it’s best to keep your Halloween candy stash out of your pet’s reach. Don’t forget to check out our post on Halloween Candy Safety for more details.
 
If you pet does get into large amounts of candy, seek veterinary care immediately.
 

Practice decoration and costume safety

 
Decorations can pose threats with wires, ribbons and open flames in pumpkins. Make sure to keep an eye on your pets around any tricky decorations that could harm them. Also, if you’re going to dress up your pet it’s good to be aware of costume dangers. This applies to pet costumes as well! If your pet doesn’t want to dress up, don’t dress them up.
Halloween Pet Safety Tips

Halloween is tons of fun for both children and adults, but it can be pretty confusing and a little scary for our pets. They don’t understand what it is all about. Think about what goes through the heads during Halloween. Why do their family members look so funny? What are all these crazy loud decorations that go “BOO!” and make creepy music when people walk by them? And why do all these strange people keep ringing the doorbell??? It’s no wonder that they need a little help staying safe during this spooky holiday. With these Halloween pet safety tips you and your pet will have a safe, fun time this Halloween.

Halloween Candy Safety For Pets Header

Halloween Candy Safety For Pets

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Halloween Candy Safety For Pets Header

 

What’s one of the first things to come to mind when you think of Halloween? Chances are, you’re thinking “CANDY!!!”.  Sugary treats are a definite favorite during this spook-tacular season. But there are some Halloween dangers that can also play not-so-sweet tricks on your pet’s health. Be sure to keep Fido and Fluffy away from the following items in your kid’s candy bag:

Bite-sized Hard Candy

Pile of chocolate

Pile of chocolate by Daniela Simona Temneanu from NounProject.com

These sweet treats can pose a major choking hazard for your precious pet. Hard candy becomes slick when mixed with saliva, making it easy to be inhaled into the windpipe. Keep these tempting treats away from Fido and Fluffy!

Candy with Wrappers

When pets get their paws on Halloween candy, they gobble them down, wrapper and all. Plastic and foil wrappers, when ingested, can cause an obstruction in the intestines and irritate the lining of the GI tract. Sometimes they can be passed without any issue, but it’s best to keep all wrapped treats away from your candy craving cat or canine.

Chocolate Covered Raisins

These tasty treats may be a favorite amongst pet parents and their kids, but they combine two potentially deadly ingredients for dogs. When ingested, chocolate can cause vomiting, diarrhea and seizures, while raisins can trigger kidney failure. If your dog gets his paws on this delicious yet dangerous treat, take him to your veterinarian immediately!

Candy Corn and Other High Sugar Candies

Sugar may have you and your kids climbing the walls, but it will only bring your pet down, causing painful and severe gas. What’s worse is that the sugar provides an excellent source of food for bad gut bacteria to dine on. This can pull water into the colon, causing an extra-messy case of diarrhea for Fluffy or Fido.

Sugar-free Candy and Gum

Most sugar-free Halloween candy these days contain a sugar-substitute called Xylitol, also may be labeled as Birch Sugar. While safe for people, Xylitol can be deadly if ingested by your canine companion. It causes a severe drop in blood sugar within minutes after ingestion, making dogs lethargic, unable to walk, and may cause seizure activity. If your dog survives the initial symptoms, often the dog will be left with severe liver damage and potentially fatal liver failure, making this the most dangerous type of Halloween “treat” for dogs.

Pet Poison Helpline - 855-764-7661

Pet Poison Helpline Number: (855) 764-7661 *$65 incident fee applies

Calls to the veterinarians at the Pet Poison Helpline increase by 12 percent during the week of Halloween, making it the call center’s busiest time of year. If you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, call your veterinarian or the Helpline (1-(855)-764-7661) sooner rather than later. It is easier, less expensive, and safer for your pet to be treated earlier. When he’s showing severe symptoms of distress or poisoning from Halloween candy treatment can be costly and more risky.

 

Halloween Candy Safety

September: Emergency Preparedness Month – Preparing with Pets

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After seeing two extremely powerful hurricanes hit the U.S. and the raging wild fires in Oregon, it makes us all consider what we would do in a natural disaster. And it’s actually a perfect time to think about your plans since September is National Emergency Preparedness Month.

We should always be ready for whatever life throws at us, like hurricanes, droughts, fire, flood, landslides, tornadoes, terrorism, and more. There are a few things we can do that will make any disaster a little easier, especially when there are pets involved. 

Emergency Preparedness for Pets

  • Update and secure collars
  • Update microchips or have microchips implanted
  • Create a list of pet-friendly accommodations if you need to evacuate
  • Keep a recent picture of each pet
  • Make a list of emergency 24hr vets in your area
  • Have emergency food and supplies on hand
  • Have a carrier and leash for each pet
  • Coordinate with neighbors, family, friends and pet sitters in case you get stranded and your pet is home alone aloneEmergency Preparedness

Make an Emergency  Kit

It’s always important to have an emergency preparedness kit at home. Here are a few items you need to make sure to have on hand. If you’re going to be evacuated, you’ll need a 3 day supply of materials.  If you’re staying at home it’s best to plan for 2 weeks.

  • Water: One gallon, per person per day
  • Food: Stock up on at least a 3 day supply of non-perishable, easy to prepare food. Include plenty of pet food and a manual can opener. 
  • Flashlights and electric tea candles
  • First aid kit that includes pet supplies
  • Batteries, including backup batteries or chargers for phones
  • Battery powered or hand crank radio
  • Camping stove/battery powered hot plate to warm up food

There are so many things to worry about during an emergency. If you have some of your basic necessities covered, you’ll have that much more peace of mind. Plan for every member of your family, including your pets. Disasters happen fast and can hit hard. Having even the smallest plan in place will help you know how to navigate if it happens to you.

In case an emergency was to happen while a Wet Noses Pet Sitter was at your home we will do everything to keep your pet safe. We will coordinate with you and keep your pets safe until they can be reunited with you.

Should I Let My Kid Bring our Pet to Show and Tell?

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One of the most exciting and fun days in school for younger students is Show and Tell Day. Children everywhere think about bringing their favorite things in life to show everyone. Who is more special in our kid’s lives than the family pet? That’s why every year tons of students ask if they can bring your pet to show and tell. And you may wonder, can they? Is it a good idea?

Well, that can depend on a few different factors. Here are a few things that you should consider.

Are there any classroom restrictions?show and tell

One of the biggest problems with bringing your pet to class is that some people may allergic. Just like peanut butter, depending on the pet and classroom, there could be allergies. Check with the teacher to make sure animals are allowed, if any.

How friendly is your pet?

Of course, you want to make sure that your pet is friendly. However, even if they are friendly at home, it doesn’t mean that they are friendly everywhere. Assess your pet’s threshold for strangers before you decided it is a good idea to bring them into the classroom. Make sure to consider how they interact with children especially. A dog may like adults, but some tend to get confused and more defensive around the small, loud, unpredictable humans.

Is transportation easy and stress-free?

Some pets are easy to transport than others. Even if you get the go ahead to bring your dog or cat that easily hop into cars and carriers, some of us don’t have conventional animals. For example, my son loves our Leopard Gecko, but taking her out of her terrarium and into a classroom just seems terrible. Not only do you have to either take a giant tank or a create a makeshift environment, it can be stressful for them.

When it comes down to it, check with your child’s teacher and school administrators. Then think about how easy it will be to transport your pet and how well they will adapt to the situation. If it doesn’t work out, make some other suggestions or print out pictures or make a craft. You can easily make collages, paper mache replicas, or just bring in photo albums of your beloved pets without all of the fuss and stress.

Have you ever let your kid take a pet to show and tell? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

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