How to Choose Pet-Safe Wrapping Paper and Ribbon

Choose plain brown kraft paper decorated with non-toxic markers or stamps, and skip ribbon, tinsel, yarn, glitter, metallic paper and small chewable decorations. Keep all string-like gift materials off finished packages and out of reach of cats and dogs. Swallowed ribbon or string can form a linear foreign body.

That means the strand anchors in the mouth or stomach and bunches or cuts the intestines as they contract.

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Why are ribbon and tinsel risky for pets?

Swallowed ribbon, tinsel, yarn, floss or string can anchor at the tongue base or stomach and saw through intestines. Pet Poison Helpline, reported through dvm360, explains that this action can cause perforation and septic abdominal infection in cats and dogs how ribbon injures pets. Cats face added risk because sparkly, light-catching material attracts chewing.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reports that ingested tinsel can cause severe vomiting, dehydration and obstructed digestive tract requiring surgery ASPCA holiday hazard list. Cornell CatWatch notes that string and tinsel cause fewer feline blockages than hairballs or toys, but they are more concerning. Lodged string bunches the intestines and often needs multiple intestinal incisions to remove.

What paper and decorations lower the risk?

Plain kraft paper removes shine, loose fibers and small parts that invite chewing. The Newport Veterinary Hospital wrapping guide recommends plain brown kraft paper personalized with non-toxic markers or stamps instead of shiny ribbons, metallic paper, glitter and small decorations Newport pet-friendly wrapping guide. Those avoided materials can attract chewing and cause choking or blockage.

Non-toxic markers and stamps add color without adding a chewable or swallowable layer. A paper label does not make gift wrap chew-safe. The U.S.

Food and Drug Administration phased out PFAS grease-proofers on food-contact paper in 2024 and terminated related food-contact notices in 2025, but that action does not certify decorative gift wrap as food-safe.

How can you wrap safely around curious pets?

Wrap in a closed room and clear scraps, cut ribbon ends and loose string before pets re-enter. Store unwrapped rolls, ribbon spools, gift tags and scissors behind a closed door. Choose flat decoration, such as a stamped pattern, rather than tied bows, curling ribbon or dangling tags.

• Use kraft paper with marker or stamp designs.
• Skip ribbon, tinsel, yarn, glitter and small ornaments on the package.
• Trim and throw away scraps right after wrapping.
• Place gifts out of reach until giving time.

What should you do if your pet swallows string?

Watch for vomiting, loss of appetite, drooling, pawing at the mouth, lethargy or dehydration. Treatment for linear foreign bodies can require complex abdominal surgery plus hospitalization, antibiotics and pain management, and some pets do not survive even after removal. If string hangs from the mouth or anus, do not pull it.

Pulling can cause further tissue damage. Only a trained veterinarian should remove it after examination.