Easter Pet Tips from Houston Humane Society
- Resist pet purchases. Bunnies, chicks, ducks and other animals are adorable, but resist the urge to buy or adopt a pet on impulse. People often forget that these cute little animals grow into adult animals requiring a commitment to provide daily care for the rest of their lives. If you do end up with a live pet this Easter, do NOT release them in a yard or park. They are not equipped to fend for themselves. If you decide to get a pet like a bunny, please consider adopting. Houston Humane Society often has bunnies and other small mammals in need of a forever home.
- Bag the Candy. Keep your pet out of the Easter basket and away from candy, including chocolate. Candy can be harmful to pets and small pieces can even choke them, and chocolate can be toxic to animals.
- Ditch dangerous decor. Easter basket decorations—including plastic grass—are dangerous to animals if ingested. The grass can become twisted within a pet's intestines and can be fatal if not caught quickly enough. Candy wrappers, plastic eggs and small toy parts can also pose a danger to critters. Keep your pet out of harm's way by using tissue paper instead of plastic grass and doing a thorough clean-up after Easter celebrations.
- Pass on poisonous plants. Some popular plants—including Easter lilies and tulips—are highly toxic to pets and can easily prove fatal if eaten. Watch out for both bouquets and planted flowers!
- Easter Egg Hunt. If planning an Easter hunt in your yard this year, be sure you round up all the hardboiled eggs from their hiding places. If left outside, the egg could rot and later be eaten by your pet. To make sure this doesn’t happen, be sure you count all of the eggs to ensure all have been picked up. Or better yet, make the switch to plastic eggs this year!