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My Pet World: Be sure to keep potpourri away from pets

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on

Q: My girlfriend told me that potpourri is dangerous for my dog and my two cats to smell. Is this true? -- C. C., Hartford, CT

A: Especially at this time of year, people seek various scents wafting through their homes. Some scents, like lavender, ease tension. Other scents, like gingerbread, smell good without the calories.

Since the sense of smell of dogs and cats is far more advanced than in people, we don't know exactly what the pets perceive. Might too much of that gingerbread bread smell simply give a pet a headache? We don't know. We do know there's nothing dangerous about these scents to dogs and cats.

However, pet birds are another story. Their respiratory systems are so sensitive that potpourri scents may be life threatening. Never use potpourri in a home with pet birds, it's not worth the significant risk.

Another risk is for a pet actually ingesting the potpourri crystals or solution, which is indeed potentially very dangerous.

So, in the end, the safest way for your house to smell like gingerbread is to bake gingerbread cookies. And save some for me.

 

If you do have an odor issue, Fresh Wave products eradicate odors (more than merely masking them), and happens to be safe to all pets, birds included.

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Q: I was thinking about flying reindeer. Of course, I don't believe they fly. But I was wondering, does any other animal fly -- aside from birds? -- P. P., Little Rock, AK

A: Bats fly, of course, and bats are mammals. There are several species that glide, such as flying squirrels or sugar gliders.

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