Many people will be busy getting their homes ready for Christmas, with trees to decorate, baubles to buy and lights to go up.

However, while the festivities are great fun for people, it can be a dangerous time for our pets.

Leading animal welfare charity, Battersea, is advising pet owners to be careful when planning their Christmas treats, to ensure that the whole family can enjoy the festive fun.

Claire Turner, Veterinary Surgeon at Battersea Brand Hatch, said: “After Christmas plans were cancelled for so many last year, some may be planning an extra special festive period this year.

Decorations, drinks and food are all Christmas treats that we look forward to, but some of these can be extremely toxic to our dogs and cats at home, so it’s really important to be extra careful at this time of year.”

Decorations

Some pets are more curious than others, so may show a lot of interest in the decorations that have popped up around your house.

Plastic decorations, like tinsel could be potentially harmful if eaten and glass decorations, like baubles, could get stuck in your pet’s paws if they fall off your tree and smash.

Keep an eye on your pet and make sure decorations are properly secured and where possible, out of the reach of curious paws.

The expert team at tails.com also emphasised the importance of keeping your animals safe from harmful decorations.

Your dog will more than likely be entertained by fairy lights and the display of twinkling colours and may even attempt to play with them.

However, if your dog attempts to chew them, they run the risk of getting an electric shock and risk getting their noses burnt on the hot lights.

They may also harm themselves if they get tangled up between the wires, so one way to conceal your cords would be to hide them under a rug, with the wiring taped to the floor to keep them firmly in place.

Another way of hiding exposed wiring would be to tape them along the skirting board, which you may even want to cover with another piece of furniture to be extra safe.

Tinsel might also be a tempting looking toy for dogs to play with, due to the fact that they can hold it in their mouths like a stick.

But it is actually one of the most dangerous decorations to have around dogs, as each small plastic or foil strand represents a potentially major choking hazard for your dog.

To protect your tinsel and your pouch from each other, keep any tinsel firmly out of your dogs’ reach, whether that's on your tree or elsewhere, as this should prevent your dog from chewing or playing with it.

For cats ribbons are one of the most dangerous holiday decorations.

They look very appealing but when ingested can damage their intestines or choke them to death.

Be especially careful not to leave your cat alone in a space with decorations and lit candles as your cat could topple the candle, end up being burned by hot wax or unwittingly start a house fire.

Try electric candles instead, and keep them well out of reach of your cat.

Chocolate

A chocolate decoration may be a favourite for humans, but for dogs and cats chocolates are poisonous.

In the most serious cases, chocolate can cause kidney failure in dogs.

If you are hanging chocolate decorations on the tree be sure to place them out of reach of your pet.

Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner is a treat that should be enjoyed by all of the family, and our pets are no different.

However, there are some ingredients in your Christmas meal that could be toxic to dogs and cats.

Onion, garlic, dried fruits and leek are often found in stuffing or sausages and can all be harmful to dogs and cats.

Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs, whilst other nuts could cause gastrointestinal issues.

Raisins are often a key ingredient in mince pies, Christmas cake and Christmas pudding but these are potentially extremely toxic to dogs.

Some dogs seem to be able to tolerate them but for others a single raisin can lead to kidney failure, requiring emergency treatment.

It’s also very important to never give your pets cooked bones or leave bones in a bin where they can get them.

Whilst raw bones can be a great treat for your dogs to chew on, cooked bones can splinter, which could be potentially fatal if swallowed.

However, you can make your own safe and tasty festive foods for your pet.

Pet health experts, Bob Martin, suggest making your own Christmas pudding for dogs.

All you need is: 60g peanut butter, seven table spoons wholewheat flour, one egg, yoghurt and cranberries.

Melt the peanut butter until it softens, then take it off the heat and mix it with the flour in a bowl.

Add the egg, and combine the ingredients into a dough, then, roll the mixture into balls and place it on a baking tray.

Bake the treats at 175°C for 25 minutes or until they look crispy.

Allow them to cool, and then add a spoonful of yoghurt and some dried cranberries on the top as decoration.

You can also make mackerel Christmas treats for cats by using: 60g of wholewheat flour, 30ml of skimmed milk, 60g canned mackerel, one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one egg.

Place the mackerel in a mixing bowl and crumble it with a fork.

Add the flour and mix it with the fish, and then add the egg and oil.

When you have a dough, roll it into tiny balls and place them on a baking sheet, and cook them in the oven at 170°C for 10 minutes.

Alcohol

For those having a tipple or two, make sure drinks are out of reach for pets.

Alcohol has a huge impact on pets, even in small doses.

Alcohol can lead to sickness, diarrhoea and can cause damage to the central nervous system.

Claire said: “Christmas is such a special time, and while there is lots to be mindful of around our pets it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy this time together.

"Pets are opportunists, so ensure that they’re never left unsupervised with toxic substances.

"If they do manage to consume anything or become injured in any way don’t delay - immediately contact your vet for more advice.”

Battersea is also asking the public to support their Wear Blue for Rescue campaign, where pet owners and supporters can help champion rescue animals whilst showing their love for those who deserve a second chance in life.

Members of the public are invited to show their support by proudly wearing the new rescue symbol as a way to stand out, stand up, and unite all animal lovers far and wide.

To get involved with the campaign and Wear Blue for Rescue, animal lovers can buy items featuring the rescue symbol, share it on social media and donate to help rescue animals everywhere.

For more festive advice, or to find out more about the Wear Blue for Rescue campaign, click here.