The holiday season has officially started! You’ll find plenty of information on safety tips and gift ideas for dogs and cats, but not so much for exotics. We’re here to help! A local Oshawa, ON vet offers some advice on spending the holidays with exotic pets in this article.

Decorating

Who says you can’t make your exotic pet’s habitat look festive? You may be able to swap out their hide for something seasonal, like an igloo. Another option is to hang lights and decorations around the outside of their habitat. Just make sure that your furry pal can’t reach or try to eat decorative items!

Temperature

Many exotic pets—particularly reptiles—need to be kept within specific temperature ranges to stay healthy. That’s a huge concern in winter. This is a good time to make sure that your thermometers and heaters are working properly, and to replace old light bulbs. You may also want to get a small, dedicated generator or battery bank to keep on hand in case you lose power.

Stress

Are you hosting an event? Some pets get very stressed out by noise and commotion. Get a secondary and/or travel cage and set your little buddy up in a quiet bedroom until the event winds down.

Travel/Boarding

One of the down sides of having an exotic pet is the fact that it can be difficult to find a petsitter. If you’re planning to go away, start looking in advance. If you want to have someone stop over, prepare some basic information for them, such as signs of illness to watch for, very specific feeding instructions, and directions for checking or maintaining habitat.

Gifts

While a lizard or chinchilla may not get too excited over the holidays, they will appreciate having a special gift. New toys, hidey-holes, or tank decorations are all good options.

Photos

You can get great holiday photos of exotic pets! Most animals will tolerate wearing a little Santa hat for a minute or two, which is all you need to get that picture. You may also be able to pose your ferret on a little sleigh, or let your hamster curl up inside a little igloo. Just supervise pets closely when you’re using props, and don’t leave them unattended! Please contact us with questions about your pet’s health or care! As your Oshawa, ON animal hospital, we’re here to help!