Celebrating an Animal-Friendly Holi

Holi is a festival of discovering the joy and colour in your life with those you love! A celebration of stories and myths, of the victory of good over evil and the hues of brotherhood, Holi is one of the most celebrated festivities in our country!

With celebrations abound, it is very easy for us to forget about the pain and discomfort this brings to our pets when we include them here with us! Apart from the loud music, the colours we play with are harmful to any animal and adversely affect their health.

When it comes to Holi, the ones who suffer the most are the stray animals who are tortured because of the colour being forcefully put on them. Hooligans and people up to mischief do not realise that being forced to play can lead the strays to aggressive behaviour, depression or trauma.

Most colours used, even the ones that claim to be organic have traces of harmful chemicals in them. These chemicals can lead to rashes, allergies, breathing difficulties along with other serious health concerns. When ingested, these colours are even more harmful and can lead to serious and painful conditions. Most animals will lick themselves, ingesting all the harmful chemicals when they do!

Here are a few quick tips and things to keep in mind to help keep your furry pals healthy, happy and safe!

• Keep your pet indoors! With mischievous people outside, it is best to keep your pet safe and away from water balloons that can hurt them. Take them out for a walk early in the morning before all the festivities begin, so as to spare them from any harm.

• When at home, keep your colours out of reach from your dog and do not play with them with colours. 

• Keep the sweets far away from your furry friend! Sugar and sugar substitutes are highly dangerous & can sometimes be fatal. Hide all your favourite sweets like jalebi, gujiya, laddoos etc.

• Keep your pets dry! With the heat increasing daily, it is highly possible for microbial growth to occur in your pet’s fur, leading to infections. Also, leaving an animal with wet fur for a prolonged period of time can often result in a cold, fever or even pneumonia.

• Speak up if you see anyone mistreating an animal this Holi. Educate others on the abuse of animals and the dangers of Holi to strays.

• If you see an animal that has colour on it, slowly dust away the powders and give them a bath with a gentle shampoo. Do not use solutions we use on ourselves like alcohol, kerosene & turpentine to take off any colour.

• Apply coconut or hemp oil on any rashes or skin reactions.

• If the colours have gone in the animal’s eyes or nose, rinse them out with lukewarm water. If the irritation continues, immediately seek out a vet!

• If you see any street animal in need or suffering because of the festival, please lend out a helping hand and take care of them as you would your own pet! Let’s make this Holi trouble-free fort hem as well.

With all these points in mind, Team Petsy wishes you and your furry baby a very happy and safe Holi!