From scrumptious food to impressive pyrotechnics, these are a few ways Chinese New Year is commonly celebrated around the world. As it marks the start of a new lunar cycle, it’s a time of festivities and gatherings with friends and family—including our furkids.
Our pets are family too and we treat them as such every day and on any occasion. When it comes to celebrations, we want to make it special and memorable for them too. After all, it’s not a party if we have to leave our furry pal behind.
Chinese New Year is celebrated over fifteen days, so there’s plenty of time to make sure your they get a slice of fun! We’re sharing ways on how they too can celebrate Lunar New Year happily with you.
Avoid
First off, it should be noted that Chinese New Year celebrations usually do involve fireworks and other noisy celebrations. As we all know, fireworks/noise and pets are not always a good combination so keep your pet away from any celebration where they’re happening.
Many pets get lost during festive celebrations as they desperately try to escape from the loud noises. Here are some tips on keeping your pets safe and secure during Chinese New Year.
Confine pets safely indoors – pets who are leashed or caged outdoors often manage to escape out of fear from the loud noises.
Leave the TV or radio on at normal volume to drown out the noise, and close doors and windows.
Offer their favorite toy or treat, or play with them to distract them.
Make sure your pet is wearing an ID tag at all times with up-to-date contact information, in case they get lost.
Have a clear and current photo of your dog or cat, just in case he or she manages to escape.
If you have some guests around, don’t be shy to ask them to refrain from feeding your pet anything during the party. But start by putting food harmful to your furkids out of reach. Remember that chocolate, onions, and alcohol are to be avoided. And if you’re thinking that you want to let your dog or cat try non-alcoholic wine, anything made from grapes is just as bad.
Give
Just as humans celebrate Chinese New Year by giving each other presents, gifts are a wonderfully positive way to get your doggo or cat in on the festive fun. Think of a beautiful gold and red harness, leash, pet bed or cat toy, for instance. Or you can opt to pamper your pooch or kitty instead of more stuff.
Food Spoil
Another delightfully delicious way to spoil your pet this festive season is with food!
Unfortunately, your furkids can’t eat most of the traditional Chinese foods enjoyed by humans, which is why we have a list of easy pet-friendly swaps you can make!
Instead of: Bakwa
Bakwa, or barbequed pork, is a staple of any Chinese New Year. It’s very high in fat and salt, however, and thus not great for your pet!
Instead of: Nuts
Chinese New Year includes a lot of nuts. They’re enjoyed as snacks and sprinkled into many traditional dishes. As we all know, the presence of aflatoxin in nuts can be dangerous for pets.
Try instead: Greedy Dog Antioxidant Dog Treats
Instead of: Yu Sheng
Yu Sheng is a traditional Chinese dish made of raw fish, shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments. The inclusion of artificially sweetened and salted condiments make it a not so great option for pets.
Try instead: Fussie Cat Puree Treats or Zignature Ziggy Bar Fish Series Dog Treats
We hope this list helps and that you, your family, and furry pals have the best time! Have a prosperous Lunar New year!