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Monday, November 19, 2012

Past Holiday Mistakes

Freckles the Dog
Ginger's 2009 Christmas photo

Oh the Holidays! Who doesn't love all the Christmas music that plagues stores and radio stations from November onwards? How about all the decorations, trees, and lights? Then there's friends and family visiting at random times and don't forget all that delicious baking and fatty cooking!! :-D I'm drooling just thinking about the cookies, cakes, turkey, and mashed potatoes!! Yummmmm...

Unfortunately, all these fun and games can sometimes wreak havoc on your and your pets' lives!! Believe me, there's a lot of crazy things that us pups and kittens can get into during the Holidays!

So, here's a few key lessons to learn from Domeek's past Holiday mistakes:

  • One candle is a beautiful and hopeful image, full of love and light and transformation!  :-) Aw! Doesn't that just make you smile?

Freckles the Dog

However, one candle left alone for two minutes on a coffee table with two cats and a dog represents chaos, insanity, and a potential date with the local fire department!

Oh yes, when Domeek was in high school that exact scenario played out with a couple of my late cousins! She left them alone in the living room with a single candle flame burning...two minutes later she returned to all three running out of the room and the coffee table in flames! Needless to say, the coffee table ended up at the bottom of the pool until the summer season started! ;-)

So, quiz time...what can you learn from this first mistake?

That's right! Never, ever leave a candle burning alone with an animal (or I guess one of your small humans) in the same room!

  • Tinsel sparkles, shines, and glitters amongst all the pretty fairy lights on a Christmas tree. Gorgeous, isn't it?

Freckles the Dog

However, have you ever had to pull tinsel out of all kinds of kitty cat orifices not only during the Holidays, but also throught the rest of the year?

Oh yes, for years Domeek and my cat cousins lived harmoniously during the Holiday time with Christmas trees and tinsel. She used to douse the entire tree so that silver slivers covered every branch! Then, when my brothers were born this all changed! Suddenly there was tinsel covered barf, tinself covered poop, and tinsel hanging out of my brothers mouths (and other places)!

So, what did you learn?

That's right...leave the tinsel in the Christmas tub if you have a curious and playful kitty hanging out at your home during the Holidays!! Thankfully nothing bad happened to either one of them, especially since (she found out) tinsel can be incredibly harmful to the digestive system of kitties. Our home has subsequently turned into a "No Tinsel" beyond this point location! :-(

  • The Holidays are the epitome of the beauty that is family and friends! They come and visit, they bring wonderful and delicious things, and everyone has a fantastic time! :-D Tear!

Freckles the Dog

However, sometimes friends and family are so busy bringing in gifts and children and saying hello to everyone that they don't realize that the front door has been left open for the past five minutes and that the cat might have slipped out!

Yep, there's nothing like traipsing through the neighbors yards and yelling "Pumpkin! Pumpkin, please come here! Don't be scared!!" Hehehe...after 9 at night on Thanksgiving! ;-) Domeek just loves to remember that one!

So what should you take away from this little story?

Correct, make sure that your kitties and puppies are either trained enough to not leave the house OR put them in another safe room away from all the loved ones! You don't want to be that person calling for their cat or dog in the middle of the freezing cold night!

  • As I said before, there's nothing more delicious than a Holiday feast!! You have your turkey or roast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, vegetable sides, pumpkin and apple pie, and ice cream!! Scrumptous, huh?

Freckles the Dog

However, take all those delectables and either place them on the table too early, before everyone sits down, or leave them in the kitchen unattended then you got yourself a doggie smörgåsbord! 

My great, great, great, great grandpuppy...a really tall Afghan Hound, decided to help himself to the entire fruit flan one Christmas dinner! He was left alone with the dessert for less than a couple of minutes when my Grandma came back in and voila, all of the fruit had been sucked straight out of there...like magic! ;-D Boy was he in trouble! Then two years ago on Thanksgiving, my cousin Dot decided to steal an entire section of turkey...straight off the carving plate! She ran around the entire house, at least twice, before my Uncle caught her!! Hehehe!  My idols!!

So what did we learn from Domeek's final mistake for the Holidays?

That's right! Never leave your dinner or plate or hors d'oeuvre alone with a pup or kitty...unless you don't want to eat all those nummies! Not only is most of that delicious food too fatty for us, but we shouldn't eat turkey skin or bones cause it can do us more harm than good! And, of course, don't forget to hide those chokies!!

:-D Well, I hope that you can take away something from all of my, hehe oh I'm sorry...Domeek's, mistakes! It's always easier and kinder to learn off of someone else!!

Take care this Holiday Season!!


22 comments:

  1. We didn't even put up a tree last year, because of Roxy. This year we have a little one that will be put up high!

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

    Listened to 'Winter Wonderland' yesterday in the shops....it was 87 F!

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    1. Hehehe, that's so weird having Christmas in the hot weather! Yeah, we gave up the real tree a couple of years ago thanks to my brothers and to glass ornaments! ;-)

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  2. Great holiday tips there Freckles! There's nothing worse than having to pull tinsel from pet orifices for sure! yuk!

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    1. No kidding, thankfully I've never seen that...I don't think I could look at my brothers again! Ew!

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  3. I remember a Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house when my sister was visiting and brought her cat. The food was laid out buffet style in the kitchen and we were all eating in the dining room when we heard this "splat!" sound from the kitchen. Upon inspection we found a huge slice of ham on the kitchen floor with the kitty nibbling on it :-D

    At least he only selected one thing and tried to make off with it so the rest of the food was safe.

    Cindy & Millie

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    1. Hahaha, totally sounds like my brothers! You can't leave them alone for one second!! :-D That was nice of her to only steal the ham though!

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  4. Great holiday tips...glad we don't have a kitty to eat tinsel!!

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  5. All great advise. I for one will not have an issue with many of those things. MOM does not decorate at all, no tree, wreath or any thing. The only thing that gets a little Christmas decoration is me (I must hide that jiggle bell collar this year). She does light a candle, but it is up on the entertainment center. And the fact is where ever my MOM is that is where I am so I am not alone with it. For Christmas my MOM and I go hiking and camping, just the two of us, so no one is ringing the door bell to be let in, so I can not escape (as if I would anyway). I do get a little turkey, but it's just a bit of the breast meat.
    But if things change around hear I will remember all this good advise.
    Blessings,
    Goose

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    1. You two are super awesome! Always together and always off camping and having fun! Yeah, I'm not sure about a jingle bell collar or that tail bell thing you were talking about last time! Um, no thank you! ;-)

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  6. Aww - good advice! It's nice of you to pass on your wisdom so others don't have to learn these things the hard way!

    My sister in law once had a chicken going in the slow cooker on the counter - it was pushed back far on the counter too. But the dog somehow managed to pull it down and devoured the entire contents of that slow cooked meal. Actually, it's sort of impressive!

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    1. OMD, that is really impressive, another food idol! I bet your sister's pup was like comatose for rest of the week! ;-) Hehehe!

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  7. Great tips! We might reconsider our plan to put up a tree...

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    1. Dude, I totally forgot the year that the entire tree fell down and broke half of the decorations! Hehe...last year that we had a real tree and the last time Domeek bought any glass ornaments! Urg!

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  8. Hehe Great advice! You are lucky with your kitties! Some need surgery to have that tinsel out. One year, my old sheltie took the turkey carcass from the trash and drug it under my bed for her Thanksgiving feast lol.

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  9. OMD! So many good tips! Ma had a Wired Haired Fox Terror that ate some tinsel and everyone had to argue who was the lucky one to pull it out the other end....Grandma lost the coin toss!! BOL

    Kisses,
    Ruby

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  10. This reminded me of a time I was given a homemade reindeer ornament and I found the string that hangs it on the tree in the litter box! My cat is famous for eating all things stringy and sticky.

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  11. We are worried Goose, are you sure your safe with Domeek in the house, kinda sounds like a peep tempting a disaster to happen. Please keep all you feet, tail and nose with close watch and maintain your self in a up right position at all times, Heeheehee, HAPPY THANKSGIVING PAL

    Your Furiends
    Susie & Bites

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  12. Gosh Goose, I never realized these wonderful holidays could be so dangerous! I hope this year all of our holidays will be safe!

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  13. Thanks for all these valuable tips!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  14. *BOL* we especially liked your tinsel tip 'cos mom has that exact problem with our sister cats...they just can't resist the stuff.

    Yup, we are in the same boat as Daisy, Roxy & Bella...Winter Wonderland and it was 102F yesterday...some winter wonderlandness would be lovely right now!

    Wally & Sammy

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  15. I've never seen a Christmas tree... The peeps are a bit worried about having one with Floyd and I about... Not sure why...

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