The holiday season brings many tempting dangers for cats - glittery gift wraps, ribbons, tinsel, string lights, candles, toxic plants and foods. Curious kitties can't resist playing with and chewing these holiday decorations and plants, which risks them swallowing something hazardous or getting burned, cut or poisoned. Ingesting even small amounts of holiday plants, ornaments, strings and foods can make cats violently ill or even prove fatal.

Pet owners need to fully cat-proof their home decorations and gifts by keeping tempting things out of reach, using pet-safe plants/potpourri, securing dangling lights/tinsel, hiding away tempting wrapping materials, blowing out candles if exiting a room, and preventing access to any human holiday foods. Travel plans and houseguests also stress out many cats, so owners should set up quiet safe rooms for their cats when loud parties occur or unfamiliar pets visit. Preparing for changes and preventing access to holiday dangers allows owners to keep their curious cats safe all Christmas.

Preparing Your Feline For Holiday

The holiday hustle and bustle poses plenty of perils for our purrfect pals. But by planning some simple precautions around our own merry-making, cat parents can balance safety and cheer for the furry family too.

As you deck your dwelling with dazzling adornments, take time to cat-proof tempting tinsel, dangling ribbons, and shattering baubles. Curious kitties find these irresistible, unable to stop themselves from pouncing, shredding, knocking over, and occasionally ingesting the glittery decor. While we delight in lavish trimmings, a cat’s feisty fun can quickly escalate into an emergency if they swallow ribbon strands or breakable ornament shards.

When wrapping festive gifts, keep tempting ties, strings, bags and eye-catching wraps secured away from your cat’s reach. Even ingesting small amounts of ribbon or plastic poses dire risks. And no matter how carefully you wrap presents, unattended boxes tempt your kitty to play, chew, or otherwise damage your hard decoration work.

In the spirit of celebration, avoid sharing candy, doughy goods, chocolate, raisins or other hazardous human foods. Even tiny tastes could induce violent illness in your cat. Take equal care to keep holiday plants like poinsettias, lilies and mistletoe out of pouncing range, as they contain toxins fatal if eaten.

Set up a safe, quiet space with water, blankets and litter just for your kitty to escape the hustle and bustle of holiday gatherings. And remind guests to latch doors and gates properly so your cat can’t run out unattended.

By planning ahead to protect our furry friends, we can all enjoy a cheerful, hazard-free holiday season together. Let’s have ourselves a fur-safe little Christmas this year!