Holidays are just days away. Feeling overwhelmed is probably inevitable to many of you, especially pet parents. Besides preparing shopping, decorating, cooking and baking delicious meals for your family and friends, you also have to watch out more carefully for your pets on these occasions.

There are a lot of pet hazards that need to be on your concern list when the holiday season is approaching. This article will list out the most common pet hazards and prevention suggestions to help you have a wonderful time with your furry friends and beloved ones.

On such big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, you often store candies, seasoned foods and beverages more than usual. And with just a moment left unnoticed, your pets may try to grab a bite and lead to unwanted situations.

Chocolate: Whether they are leftover from Halloween or the new ones you get for Christmas and New Year, make sure you keep them far away from your pets' reach. As pet parents, you must have heard many unfortunate situations happen when dogs or cats eat chocolate. To them, they are pure poison.

Cookies: Don’t let your pet get near the raw dough if you are baking cookies for Christmas. Uncooked yeast dough can cause stomach problems and make your pets drunk if they accidentally sneak a bite.

Raisins: This favorite food can be found in cakes, candy or desserts in general. Whether they're raisins or fresh grapes, they're all on the dangerous list of food to avoid for your pets. The same with chocolate, consuming raisin or grapes cause your pets severe disorder and kidney failure that may lead to death.

Cooked bones: It'd be more fun when having your pets in the kitchen watching you be busy with all the meal preparation. It often has some tempting moments when you want to toss your pup a bone from your feast. Yes, dogs love bones, but cooked bones are not good for your furry friends. The cracked pieces from cooked bones that your dogs chew can cut their mouth and gums or even cause internal injuries and punctured organs.

Alcohol: Your pets will have similar effects when consuming alcohol, just like humans. They may experience drooling, vomiting, diarrhea and shaking. How uncomfortable we probably feel it will be even worse when it happens to your pets when they’re drunk. So make sure you keep your adult beverage far from those noisy noses.

Coffee/ Caffeine: Coffee or caffeine drinks, in general, are not pet-friendly drinks either. Increasing heart rate, hyper activities, restlessness are common symptoms your pets may suffer if they accidentally take a sip. So enjoying your latte, cappuccino, or warm chocolate is great in the winter season. Still, water is more than fine for your pets.

Ornaments: These items are one of the most significant decorative pieces that help brighten up your house in the holiday season. There’s no way you let your Christmas tree feel so lonely without lovely ornaments hanging around. But for your pets’ safety, you should consider hanging them in a higher position or watch out for your pet to secure them from chewing the ornaments.

Holiday lights: Your curious feline and canine will be intrigued by wiring from electric cords and outlet of holiday lights. Chewing on those, especially if they are working, will lead to electrical shocks for your pet. Also, small broken pieces when your pets chew them can cause choking. So take care of places where you put those cords and outlets, or cover them with some protective case to reduce the chance your pet can reach those as low as possible.

Christmas plants: Holly and mistletoe are basically icons for Christmas. It’s beautiful for your house decoration but not so much for your pets’ safety. Chewing those plants can cause nausea, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal upset.

Present wrapping papers: Unwrapping presents bring so much happiness to all of us. But we often get into the mood and leave all the ribbons, tape, strings and bows unnoticed. It turns out to be a great chance for your pets to play and even eat them without your supervision. If they ingest a significant amount of them, it may obstruct their stomach.

Don't give so much attention to your pets: The number of strangers (as your pet's view) coming to the house during holidays will give them a certain bad vibe. No matter how cute your pets are, too much attention will make them feel overwhelmed or even attacked. So be easy on them or let them decide whether they want to greet your guests or not.

Hugging is not always good: We love how a hug can ease so much pain and keep us bonded better. However, grabbing your pets or leaning on them may make them feel anxious and scared. Some pets need more time to get to know others, while some don't like any type of skinship at all. So as their parents, you should tell your guest beforehand about your pet's characteristics to help them getting along better.

Keep children under supervision when around your pets: Dogs or cats are often more open and love playing with kids. But since both kids and dogs are high in energy, it's easy to become hyperactive and cause some unwanted situations. Some kids may be curious and play with things that can annoy your pets or trigger their aggressiveness. So always supervise children when they play with your pets and make sure everything is still under control.

• Always make sure you got your first aid kit box fully equipped and easy to access
• If anything unexpected happens, such as your pet ingested chocolate, choked, or got injuries, call your veterinarian or Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) at (888) 426-4435 immediately to get in-time treatment.