Merry Pet Mess: Holiday Havoc (Brought to You by Your Pet)
minute read
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for muddy paws, tipped-over trees and tissue paper that never stood a chance.
Whether you’re hosting family, road-tripping with your furry copilot or just trying to keep your ornaments intact through December, one thing’s for sure: pets will find a way to make it memorable.
We’ve rounded up some of the realest holiday pet messes from fellow Steemer pet parents and paired them with our best cleanup advice—because while we can’t stop your cat from scaling the tree, we can help you recover from the aftermath.
Let’s get into it.
The Offender: Slushy Paws
The Mess: Snow, slush and whatever mystery grime your dog stepped in.
Your Move: Keep a towel by the door to wipe paws and bellies before they cross the threshold. Already got paw prints in the carpet? Blot with a clean white towel, then reach for Stanley Steemer’s spot remover. For the deep stuff, our techs can handle it during your next carpet cleaning.
The Offender: Your Cat (You Already Knew)
The Mess: Tinsel shredded, garland yanked, ornaments airborne.
Your Move: A broom or vacuum will help collect rogue holiday debris before it gets stomped into the carpet. For hardwood or LVP/LVT, use a microfiber broom to keep things scratch-free.
The Offender: The Indoor Tree = Outdoor Bathroom?
The Mess: Confused dogs marking territory on your tree skirt (RIP).
Your Move: Watch for “the sniff test” when you first bring the tree in—if your dog gives it that long, investigative nose dive, redirect quickly. If it’s too late, blot up the liquid and use Spot Remover + Odor Out! for damage control. Still smells? Time for a pro clean to prevent recurring pup visits to the tree.
The Offender: Dinner Guests (Who Share with Your Dog)
The Mess: Dropped scraps, messy paws and food dragged to a second location.
Your Move: Use spot remover and deodorizer for soft surfaces. For tile, wood, or vinyl plank flooring? A damp towel usually does the trick—but a deeper clean may still be needed to tackle what’s lurking under the surface. We’ve got you there.
Now, it’s time to meet the guilty parties. Our own pets are behind these festive fiascos—and their humans are naming names. It’s all in good fun… and for a cleaner home.
The Culprits of Our Holiday Mishaps
Duffy: White Cat
Owner: Nissa S, Accounting Department
Duffy’s Holiday Messes: “I tried to put up my artificial tree, and Duffy went bonkers. Excitedly jumping and climbing on it, knocking it over. I ultimately decided not to put up a tree.”
Lilah: Border Collie
Owner: Callia K, Marketing Department
Lilah’s Holiday Messes: “Lilah is (and was bred to be) a workaholic who never takes a day off, which means she demands to go work in the park no matter the weather. She may not have sheep to herd, but she’s made do with herding her frisbee and chasing it down at speeds so fast she kicks up a cloud of dust behind her in the summer. In the winter, this results in her stomach and legs being covered in mud, slush, and dirty water from the park. While visiting family for the holidays, she also created a mess by knocking ornaments off the Christmas tree while attempting to herd the 15-year-old family dachshund, Cookie (pictured below).”
Ichi: Gray Cat
Owner: Mackenzie C, HR
Ichi’s Holiday Messes: “Ichi loves to chew on the tree branches and take down all the ornaments.”
Fritz: Aussiedoodle
Owner: Brin H, Dispatch
Fritz’s Holiday Messes: “Fritz brings in snow, grass, leaves, and dirt when coming in from outside. When it snows, we have to whisk his fur to remove the snowballs attached to him. Then we have a towel next to the door so we can get him as dry as possible.”
Milo: Bernedoodle
Owner: Eva L, Marketing
Milo’s Holiday Messes: “Milo has fluffy white paws, so we are always trying to keep them clean this time of year. We keep a towel by the door and make sure to get them trimmed up frequently in the winter as well. Milo loves to be in the kitchen when we are cooking, but he is always in the wrong places at the wrong times, so we got him a snowflake lick mat to keep his attention while be prepare all of our holiday meals and treats. It's perfect for peanut butter, fruit, and even frozen with yogurt!”
Luca: Goldendoodle
Owner: Taylor B, Marketing
Luca’s Holiday Messes: “This is going to be Luca's first Christmas! He decided to express his holiday cheer by taking ornaments off the tree and and busting them all over the floor. The pieces went EVERYWHERE and required quite the cleanup. Hopefully, Santa wasn't watching, or else he is ending up on the naughty list this year.”
Tesla, Jelly and Thor: Black Cats
Owner: Lauren L, Accounting
Note: Unfortunately, we couldn’t get all the kitties in one photo, so only Jelly is pictured above, but we still wanted to share how each cat spends the holidays below!
Tesla, Jelly, and Thor’s Holiday Messes: “Tesla likes to knock off the mini-Christmas tree with breakable ornaments. He also likes to spill holiday cocktails on my rug.
Jelly finds peace in eating the fake tree and proceeding to vomit on anything with carpet. She also slides her behind on my parent's carpet after using the litter box... haha
Thor enjoys spilling coffee off the table. He also likes to escape to the basement, which brings up dirt/dust into the main area.”
