With Easter just around the corner, have you started shopping for items to fill your child’s Easter basket? If so, this is a good time to remind those with pets in the home to be careful when using the popular plastic Easter “grass” to fill that basket. Like Christmas tinsel, pets are not able to digest these plastic strands, and it can bunch up in your pet’s digestive tract causing intestinal blockages which may require surgery.  Strands of the grass can actually get wrapped around the base of your pet’s tongue causing injury. While plastic Easter grass can be a hazard to dogs or cats, it is especially enticing to cats that are drawn to play with the strands.

You may be surprised to learn that plastic Easter grass is also a danger to birds which are nesting at this time of year.  Birds are drawn to the colorful strands and weave them into their nest.  The sturdy plastic strands may wrap around and entrap a bird’s foot, or wrap around a chick’s neck. If you have an outdoor Easter egg hunt, be sure to pick up all errant strands of plastic grass.

As a safer alternative to plastic Easter grass, look for colorful shredded paper grass or use Easter-themed tissue paper.