It can be hard to keep a stress-free home during the holidays, but according to Dr. Paul Eismann of Deer Creek Animal Hospital, here are a few safeguards you can take:

During winter months, take special care to make sure pets always have sufficient food, fresh water readily available and warm shelter.

Antifreeze ingestion is a concern with pets since it has a sweet taste but is very toxic. Check the car for leaks and keep the containers locked away.

Limit pet’s time outside when temperatures are very cold.

If you have stray or outside cats on your property, be sure to honk your horn or bang on the hood of your car before starting your engine in the winter. Cats like to curl up in warm places, including a toasty car engine.

Ensure that garbage cans (inside and outside) are secure with lids or in gates to prevent pets from getting into table scraps, foil and other harmful substances in the trash.

Make sure visitors are all well informed on what they can and can’t give pets.

Give a certificate, not a pet

And, if you are thinking about giving a dog or a cat as a gift, don’t, says Shanna Best, kennel director at the Butler County Humane Society.

“This is not the time of year to give a pet as a present,” said Best. “We don’t adopt out animals as gifts. We do offer gift certificates.”

“We’d get a lot of returns if we did that,” she said. “People are not expecting an animal as a gift. It could be the wrong breed or a particular animal may not be what the person wanted.”