- 2 days ago
Everyday Christmas items can look harmless and festive, but some of them hide real dangers for your pets. Number one is tinsel: that sparkly stuff you drape all over the tree to make it look magical. Cats go absolutely wild for it, but if they swallow even a single strand, it can twist through their intestines and cause painful, expensive problems—sometimes requiring surgery that costs hundreds of dollars. Number two is decorative lights. You know how they sit in a box all year, and when you finally open it in December, they’re tangled worse than headphones in a pocket? While you wrestle with them, your pets might chew the cords, swallow pieces, or even get shocked. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz
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Our Social Media:
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https://www.shutterstock.com
https://www.eastnews.ru
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For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:00The holiday spirit comes with holiday decorations.
00:04Sparkling lights, garlands, and snow globes are all part of it.
00:08Our furry friends like to play with them too.
00:11But did you know that this stuff has some hidden dangers?
00:15Let's take a closer look at pet safety tips in your household,
00:19both during holiday times and any other time of the year.
00:23Number one is tinsel.
00:26It's a go-to option to spread a celebration vibe.
00:30Tinsel is also known to spread all over the place.
00:33You might have noticed this if you trimmed a tree with it.
00:37Pets, especially cats, love such decorations.
00:40Yet, if they eat a piece of tinsel, it can cause intestinal problems.
00:45Not to mention emotional effects.
00:47The consequences can cost a lot money-wise too.
00:51Surgery to remove a foreign object can cost hundreds of dollars.
00:54Don't underestimate the appeal of a shiny object in the room
00:58and keep your eye on your pets.
01:00Number two is decorative lights.
01:05Once you're done, you put them in the box and they spend the whole year there, tangled.
01:10When you open the box next year, you'll have a hard time untangling them.
01:14But while you're unpacking, your pets can eat the lights or get an electric shock.
01:20To avoid this, you can bundle up loose cords with protective plastic covers
01:24and hang the lights in places your pets can't easily reach.
01:30Some people have a snow globe collection.
01:33They get these balls as souvenirs from tourist places they go to.
01:37Others take them out of a box with holiday decorations at certain times of the year.
01:41These fragile things can easily break.
01:43Don't ask me how I know this.
01:46Some snow globes contain ingredients that are hazardous not only to pets,
01:50but also to younger family members.
01:53Numerous veterinary sources are full of the same warning.
01:56Keep your pets away from snow globes.
01:58That being said, the liquid inside snow globes might not be just pure water.
02:04It often contains 2% ethylene glycol.
02:07And it turns out it has a sweet smell that can lure pets to taste it.
02:11Number 4 is about Christmas trees and how they can turn into pet-friendly decor.
02:19Vets say that artificial trees and garlands can be safer than real ones.
02:24These trees don't carry the outdoor scent with them.
02:27So, smell-wise, they don't attract your pets that much.
02:30Here, the important part is not to buy a flocked or snow-covered artificial tree.
02:36These sprinkles, again, can be harmful to pets.
02:39If you're not into buying artificial trees,
02:42you can attach a fishing line to the tree and hang it on the ceiling to stabilize it.
02:47As for the water for the tree, your pet might want to taste it.
02:51It's best not to add aspirin or other things to this water.
02:55You can cover the reservoir with foil to keep your animals away.
02:59Lastly, you can temporarily put a large water bowl in the same room as the tree.
03:03If your pet gets thirsty, they can go to their bowl instead of the reservoir.
03:09You can consider putting a barrier in front of the tree to make it less accessible.
03:13Ah, but some cats are wild.
03:15They'll just take it as a challenge, and they'll easily get over most obstacles.
03:19Yet, most of them don't want to bother with double-sided sticky tape.
03:24You can try that.
03:25When I talked about snow globes, it included magnets, too.
03:30I wonder whether magnets can be dangerous for pets.
03:33We use them for various purposes in our homes.
03:36For starters, with their help, we showcase our photos or notes on the fridge door.
03:41Our four-pawed friends can easily get their paws on it.
03:45These fridge magnets might not be as harmful as so-called rare earth magnets, though.
03:50Neodymium magnets, for example, are the real danger.
03:54These kinds of magnets are very powerful.
03:56If you accidentally pinch your body parts, they can injure you.
04:00Imagine these magnets as warriors.
04:02When they get too close to each other, they can strike with a super force to chip and shatter regular magnets.
04:09You wouldn't want that type of magnet near your pets or little members of your family.
04:14Rare earth magnets are normally used in stuff like hard disks, locks for doors, or headphones.
04:20But they're also used as toys.
04:23These magnets aren't especially toxic.
04:25So, if your dog accidentally eats one of them, the magnet may leave its body in a natural way.
04:31But, what if it eats two super powerful magnets?
04:35I don't want to get into the details of this scenario.
04:38The intestines loop back and forth in the abdomen.
04:40And if these magnets get too close to each other, yeah.
04:43Apparently, pennies made later than 1982 are also hazardous.
04:50They contain high levels of zinc.
04:52You might think, isn't zinc an essential mineral for our body?
04:56Yes, for growth, wound healing, and many more aspects.
05:00Yet, the body needs a small amount of zinc.
05:03Too much can cause poisoning.
05:04Zinc is found in many metal objects, such as bolts, zippers, and jewelry.
05:11If you live in the U.S., you should know that pennies minted after 1982 have zinc cores covered in copper plating.
05:18One of the most common causes of zinc poisoning in pets is these pennies.
05:24Household plants and flower bouquets can also be dangerous.
05:28Let's say you have a bouquet of tulips that you want to keep.
05:31And your cat looks so funny trying to push the vase off the table.
05:35You shouldn't let curiosity get the best of your cat.
05:38Aloe vera, daphne, daylily, oh, the list is long.
05:43The moral of the story is, kittens are curious and shouldn't eat plants or flowers,
05:48because they can be toxic for their fluffy bodies.
05:52The next one is batteries.
05:55The acidic material inside them can leak if they get blasted.
05:58Imagine your dog chewing them accidentally.
06:02Severe consequences and immediate surgery would be the next step.
06:06When I say batteries, I also mean stuff like remotes, watches, and hearing aids.
06:11They're also powered by batteries.
06:14The next item on the list is food.
06:17Yeah, I know how hard it can be sometimes to eat while your pet gives you the look.
06:22I want to taste that too!
06:23Give me a bite, human, please!
06:25Okay, allow me to explain the dangers so that you can resist the temptation to share your food with your bestie.
06:33Avocado is toxic to birds and rabbits.
06:37Appleseeds and almonds are bad for hamsters.
06:40One myth is that rabbits eat lettuce.
06:43But in reality, you shouldn't include some types of lettuce in their diet.
06:47For example, iceberg lettuce.
06:49It contains lacticarium.
06:51It can be harmful if your animal eats too much of it.
06:55Another myth is that cats should drink milk.
06:57Nope.
06:58Cow's milk is not good for cats because, surprise, most cats are lactose intolerant.
07:04Chocolate, garlic, grapes, and raisins can also be dangerous to pets.
07:09How toxic something is depends on several factors, like the species of your pet and how much of the potentially harmful thing the animal has eaten.
07:20At the end of the day, you know your pet better than anyone.
07:23You probably already know how long it takes them to visit their litter box or how it smells.
07:28So, always be prepared.
07:31Watch your pet's behavior.
07:32Do they have a decreased appetite?
07:34It's best to play it safe.
07:36When I say pets, I picture animals like dogs, cats, and hamsters.
07:41But some people have exotic pets, such as bears, owls, or crocodiles.
07:47The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries believes that 5,000 tigers are held by people in the United States alone.
07:55This number includes zoos, but the majority of them live with private owners.
08:00Mountain lions are also commonly seen among exotic pets.
08:04Maybe this is why from time to time, we encounter news telling us that something went wrong with private owners of wild animals.
08:13Do you have a pet?
08:14If you do, what's their name?
08:16Why not let us know in the comments?
08:20Christmas time is here!
08:23You finally found a nice tree, brought it into your home, and now you're ready to decorate.
08:27But first off, you should unclog your toilet because something smells really bad in your place.
08:36Oh, wait, could that be your new tree?
08:39Possibly.
08:40And there can be a couple of reasons for that.
08:43First, when you bring the tree home, it's cut down but still alive.
08:48That means it will try to seal the cut in its trunk with resin to heal itself.
08:52So, if you just put it in the water, the tree won't absorb any.
08:57You'll end up with stagnant water in the bucket, and it won't take too long before it starts to stink.
09:03So, when you first bring your new Christmas tree in, take a sharp knife and refresh the cut so the tree can start drinking the water.
09:14Or, you might have brought it too early.
09:17A Christmas tree enters the final stage of its life when you bring it indoors.
09:23When a tree has withered, it stops absorbing water.
09:26So, to keep it fresh for a longer time, it would be better to store it somewhere in a cold place, like a garage, or maybe even your garden for a while, before you bring it inside.
09:37This way, your tree will get about two extra weeks before it starts to dry out.
09:43You can do your best, but there's always an option that you have picked the tree that wasn't fresh from the beginning.
09:49Not every vendor sells Christmas trees that are recently cut.
09:52Sometimes, they leave them in a warehouse for a few weeks before taking them out on sale.
09:59Here's a tip to notice the difference.
10:01When choosing your tree, run your hand through a branch.
10:05If you see needles come off, keep looking for a fresher one.
10:09But if you did buy a tree that's not that fresh, you can still perk it up.
10:13Put some fresh water in the stand and add an aspirin in there.
10:17Or you can try to mix some sugar, aspirin, and a little bit of lemon juice to get a couple of extra days of a good-looking tree that smells well.
10:29Sometimes, trees smell bad, not naturally.
10:32It's done on purpose.
10:35Lincoln, Nebraska had a problem with people who kept stealing Christmas trees.
10:39To stop them, they had to add a liquid called fox urine.
10:43You can get that in a store that sells trapping supplies.
10:48They sprayed this liquid on their trees and left signs that claimed that the smell was really bad.
10:54Especially if you brought the trees indoors.
10:57And to make the stench even stronger, they added a pinch of skunk smell.
11:02That combination was awful enough to keep the thieves away.
11:05On the campus of the University of Minnesota, people would either take whole Christmas trees or they would cut off the tops of those big evergreen ones.
11:16To stop this, the team in charge of taking care of the land of the university started spraying the trees with a strong, bad-smelling liquid that skunks use as a defense mechanism.
11:27And it worked.
11:28Ever since 2012, no trees have disappeared from the campus.
11:35In Port Republic, in New Jersey, people also had to use a stinky mixture to protect their Christmas trees from being stolen.
11:43This time, if you brought the tree inside a warm house, you'd sense something similar to the smell of rotten eggs.
11:50One homeowner from Lancaster County, Nebraska, didn't feel like applying the smell.
11:57So he just left a few warning signs that his tree was sprayed with something disgusting.
12:02It worked for a couple of years.
12:04Until he decided not to put up the sign since the tree had grown too tall.
12:08So he thought it was safe.
12:10But that was the year when thieves took it.
12:14Minnesota also had a problem with people stealing Christmas trees.
12:17Their Department of Natural Resources watched a property in a forested area for two nights
12:23because they'd wanted to catch a young couple who kept stealing spruce trees from the land that was in the ownership of the state.
12:30That couple was kinda like a modern version of Bonnie and Clyde.
12:35They had illegally cut down almost 2,000 trees.
12:38They wanted to sell them.
12:39But eventually, they ended up arrested.
12:41Of course, Christmas is not only about smelly or non-smelly trees.
12:51Different countries have their own ways of celebrating this holiday.
12:54For example, in Austria, there's a character called Krampus,
12:58who scares kids who haven't been good and leaves them sticks.
13:03In Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain,
13:06they have a nativity scene with their own funny figurines.
13:09They also have a pretty unique tradition called Dio de Nadal.
13:15It's a log with a red hat and a face drawn on it.
13:18They treat it as a Christmas character.
13:21They feed the log bits of food and then hit it with a stick while singing a special song.
13:26The log is then supposed to poop out presents, which are often pieces of nougat candy.
13:33In Sweden, Christmas is not Christmas without Donald Duck.
13:37About 40% of Swedish people gather around their TVs on Christmas Eve to watch this popular cartoon.
13:45Ever since 1959, their main TV channel has been showing a special program called
13:50Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas.
13:55Back in the day, Sweden had only two TV channels,
13:58so this was the only time they could actually watch American and Disney cartoons.
14:03The tradition became so popular among people that many during this program use their phones less.
14:13There were even fewer emergency calls at that time.
14:15It's a tradition they really value, not something you can perhaps record and watch later.
14:22People are so into the show that they watch it in silence unless there's a funny scene
14:27when they laugh or when they want to share their favorite lines.
14:31Here's something that will warm your heart.
14:33J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings,
14:36wrote letters to his kids every year where he presented as Father Christmas.
14:41These letters started off as simple Happy Christmas cards,
14:45but as time went by, they turned into more complex stories.
14:49After a while, he even started talking about goblins,
14:52a polar bear sidekick,
14:54the man on the moon,
14:55snow elves, and many other magical things.
14:58He even developed a special Arctic language.
15:03People in Iceland have a beautiful, cozy tradition,
15:07which in translation from their language means Christmas book flood.
15:10It started back in the 1940s when paper was in short supply,
15:14so many would exchange books as presents.
15:17This tradition has remained,
15:19which is why Icelanders, even today,
15:21love giving and receiving books for this time of year.
15:25Sometime around mid-November,
15:26every household gets a book catalog they can use
15:29to order gifts for their family and friends just in time.
15:32The main day for exchanging presents is Christmas Eve.
15:36They open gifts and later enjoy hot chocolate and reading their new books.
15:40Not all countries have a custom of opening Christmas gifts together on the same day.
15:48Some are shocked to hear that in certain countries,
15:51families open their presents on December 24th.
15:55Hollywood movies often show families who put out Christmas and milk for Santa
15:59who comes to visit on Christmas Eve.
16:01And the following day, they wake up and start ripping the paper off their presents.
16:07Sometimes, in the movies, you can see people who exchange a single gift on Christmas Eve.
16:12The presents are usually festive pajamas,
16:15which they wear and sleep in on December 24th.
16:19This way, they kind of prepare for all the joys,
16:22excitement, and opening presents the next day.
16:24Japan has its own unique tradition.
16:30Instead of preparing a homemade meal for Christmas Day,
16:33they eat fried chicken from KFC.
16:36It's so popular that people have to make their KFC orders
16:39weeks in advance to make sure they'll get their food.
16:42The Kentucky for Christmas slogan started as a part of a marketing campaign back in 1974.
16:48And now, decades later, about 3.6 million Japanese people enjoy their fried chicken for Christmas.
16:56People in Norway pay only half their tax in November,
16:59so everyone has more money for Christmas.
17:02That way, a month before Christmas is the time when Norwegian employees
17:06really make the most of their working hours.
17:10They might even put in a bit of overtime.
17:15That's it for today.
17:16So, hey, if you pacified your curiosity,
17:19then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
17:21Or, if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.
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