Create a pet-safe Easter

SKIP THE CHOCOLATE: CREATE A PET-SAFE EASTER FOR YOUR FURRY FAMILY

Easter treats aren't just for humans.

Together with our Official Partner Southern Cross Pet Insurance, we're sharing some of the ways we make Easter special for the pets at Pet Refuge — with plenty of ideas you can recreate for your own furry family members at home.

From Easter egg hunts made for paws to bunny biscuits and frozen treats, there are plenty of ways to include your pet in the celebrations while keeping their Easter safe, fun and enriching.

EASTER AT PET REFUGE

At Pet Refuge, special occasions are another opportunity to bring a little extra joy to the pets staying in our care.

The pets who come to us already have loving families. We provide temporary shelter and care while their families escape family violence and find somewhere safe, before reuniting them when it's safe to do so.

Sometimes that means spending Easter apart.

While we can't replace celebrating at home with their family, our shelter team makes sure the pets in our care get some Easter fun of their own. We also send families regular photos and updates, so a snap of their dog enjoying an Easter treat or their cat investigating something special can create a little moment of connection while they're apart.

And there's more to it than a cute photo.

Food-based enrichment encourages pets to use their senses and natural behaviours. Sniffing, searching, licking, chewing and exploring can provide mental stimulation, while different pet-appropriate smells, tastes and textures give them something interesting to investigate.

Every pet is different, so we tailor enrichment to their individual needs, confidence, preferences and diet.

CREATE THEIR OWN EASTER EGG HUNT

This one is simple: keep the Easter hunt and swap the chocolate.

Hide small amounts of your dog's favourite treats or pieces of their usual food in safe, accessible places around your home or garden and let their nose lead the way.

Cats can join the hunt too. Hide treats in safe spots around the house or use boxes and puzzle feeders to encourage them to search, explore and forage for their Easter goodies.

Start with easy hiding places and make the hunt more challenging if your pet is enjoying themselves. Always supervise the fun and make sure you've found any forgotten treats afterwards.

TRY SOME PET REFUGE-INSPIRED EASTER TREATS

Bake some bunny biscuits

Bring out the bunny, carrot and Easter egg cookie cutters. For dogs, try biscuits made with banana, oats and xylitol-free peanut butter. For cats, tuna, egg and wholemeal flour can make a savoury Easter alternative.

Make frozen Easter eggs

Fill Easter egg-shaped silicone moulds with small amounts of pet-appropriate ingredients such as wet food, mashed pumpkin or plain Greek yoghurt and freeze. Once they're ready, you've got an Easter treat made especially for them.

Create an Easter egg lick mat

Use different pet-appropriate foods to create an Easter egg-inspired pattern across a lick mat, then pop it in the freezer. Different tastes, smells and textures turn their treat into an enriching activity too.

Follow the bunny trail

Create a trail using small treats or pieces of your pet's normal food for them to sniff out, with a favourite toy, puzzle feeder or special Easter treat waiting at the end.

Make a pet Easter basket

Fill a basket or box with a favourite toy, a couple of appropriate treats and an enrichment activity. Skip plastic Easter grass, ribbons and small decorations that could be chewed or swallowed.

Whip up an Easter puppaccino

Give a Pet Refuge favourite an Easter makeover with pet-appropriate milk, a little xylitol-free peanut butter and a bunny-shaped pet biscuit on top.

CHOCOLATE FOR YOU, PET-SAFE TREATS FOR THEM

Of course, there are some Easter treats we don't want our furry family members getting their paws on.

Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats, and other ingredients in our favourite Easter foods can be harmful or unsuitable for pets too. Keep human treats safely out of reach — particularly if you're hiding Easter eggs around the house or garden.

Together, Pet Refuge and our Official Partner Southern Cross Pet Insurance are passionate about keeping pets safe, healthy and happy — while making sure they can still be part of the moments that make life with them so special.

Choose foods and treats that are appropriate for your individual pet, consider their usual diet and any health requirements, and keep treats to sensible portions. If you're unsure whether an ingredient is safe, check with your veterinarian first.

Then bring out the bunny biscuits, set up the hunt and let them get sniffing.

Because keeping them safe is always worth celebrating.