Holi is and has always been everybody’s favorite, the festival of color – isn’t it the absolute best? Well, for us hoomans at least, not for our pets and streethearts.  Considering how close Holi is, I believe it is imperative we educate ourselves on what to do and what not to do to ensure the safety of our furry friends.

First, let’s talk about the dos for this Holi season:

1. Do avoid children who are known to celebrate Holi in a rather rowdy way: Holi is bound to excite anyone, whether children or adults. In many, many cases, being around children during this day of utter excitement can result in some “oops,” situations. In the sheer fun of it all, a child may pour chemical-filled colors that may result in skin and coat issues along with allergies and infections. These colors can also frighten a pet quite easily, and as a matter of fact, they might even pique their interests resulting in them licking it or consuming it. These are likely to cause an array of unpredictable problems that we as pet parents definitely don’t want to deal with.

2. Do avoid areas where throwing water balloons are more of a culture: It is a given fact that Holi allows for bombards of water balloons to be thrown on people or even animals, or at least that’s what most children use as their justifications. To be true, you cannot prevent something as unpredictable as water balloons. However, if you have ever been attacked by a water balloon I am certain you are aware of the pain and sudden shock it causes, a sweet little furry friend of ours will definitely be equally frightened if not more. To avoid the chances of experiencing this, try to ensure that you do not walk near areas where this kind of outraging experience is more liable to happen.

3. Do put coconut oil on your pet’s skin if you plan on taking them out for a walk during Holi celebrations: Applying coconut can prevent from any colour sticking onto your pet’s fur, it is also advisable to wash them afterward with pet safe shampoo to make sure you get rid of any and all color that they come in contact with.

4. Do make an effort to spend time with them and make them comfortable: The Holi celebrations often tend to get rather loud, and this could easily stress your pet causing them anxiety. To avoid this, do try to make sure someone or the other is staying with them, even try to offer some extra treats or their favorite toy to keep them distracted.

While these are all the dos there are, we must remember the following don’ts and keep them in mind:

1. Do not strive to make an effort to only protect your pets and not strays: Strays are likely to face the most severe and adverse effects of the Holi festival, unlike your pets, they don’t have much safety promised on Holi. Make sure you do not put the strays at any risk such as colors or water balloons that wouldn’t put your own pet in.

2. Do not force your pets: Avoid forcing your pet to do anything, such as taking them outside or making them eat treats if they appear uninterested in what is going on around them. It is possible your pet is overwhelmed by all that is going on outside and they are anxious, overfeeding them or unnecessarily treating them will not help.

3. Do not feed them sweets or foods that are not meant for dogs: Scrumptious sweets like thandai, lassi and a variety of pakodes and snacks are extremely popular during Holi. However, despite how much we may enjoy them, we cannot give any of them to our pets. These holiday treats, like the majority of human foods, are not intended for our pets due to their high sugar content, as well as their numerous other ingredients, spices, and oils. Instead, you can provide them with delicious treats made for dogs to consume.

Do everything in your power to protect your pet and the stray animals nearby before you get into your Holi spirits. Holi is undoubtedly a fun time for everyone, and most of the time, our furry friends are game for anything but be careful not to include them in situations where they could be exposed to numerous health risks, as Holi can.