We’re all for decking the halls at Zee and Zoey’s for the holidays but please be mindful that there are many decorations, foods, drinks, and plants that can be harmful to our pets. Stockings courtesy of PetCareRx.

It’s that time of year when we love to deck the halls, bestow gifts, and eat, drink, and be merry! I’m all for it – it’s my favorite time of the year but when it comes the holidays we have to be mindful of the safety of our kitties because they can be extremely curious and many of the foods, plants, and decorations that are part of the festivities can be dangerous or even lethal to our feline friends.

No sense in denying that a cat will be a cat and who wants to spend the holidays worrying about their safety? I learned long ago that compromise is the name of the game, after all, kitty does share a home with us and no holiday plant, ribbon curl, or tempting piece of chocolate is worth the risk. I wasn’t as informed years ago as I am now and every Christmas used to be the same – a giant sized tree would become a ladder so that kitty could get to the top of it to bat at the dangling ornaments. Inevitably the tree would come crashing to the floor along with dozens of breakable ornaments that would shatter into a million little shards of dangerous glass.

Yes, no doubt that glass ornaments are beautiful, but are they really worth the aggravation and potential danger of broken glass?

No matter how well I thought I had cleaned up, there would still be a tiny sliver or two for someone to step on, both feline and human, and blood was always shed. I diligently tried to devise some scheme to tether the tree to the wall and it was a constant battle scolding the cats to stay away. They would also feel compelled to mark the tree and I can’t tell you how many wrapped gifts had the charming odor of cat urine on them.

They were also fascinated with drinking water from the tree stand and at the time it never dawned on me that all of those tricks to make a tree stay fresher longer could make a cat sick such as added fertilizers, preservatives and aspirin tablets. Not to mention the obsession they had with nibbling on pine needles which could also cause them to get sick.

To avoid the gymnastics and potential dangers, we solved all of this a few years ago by finally succumbing to the reality of our lives and have opted for a couple smaller faux trees that we decorate with shatterproof ornaments. Now if they fall over it’s not a big deal and the ornaments they make today come in a wide variety of colors and styles that are both beautiful and affordable which is a win-win to me. But, if you still can’t tolerate the thought of an artificial tree, at least try to make the area around your tree as safe as possible by covering up the base of the tree with something like foil that will startle the cats and keep them away. And regardless of what type of tree you end up using, always be mindful of the lights and never leave them on unattended while you are out of the house. A couple chews on the cord is all that is needed for a tragedy to occur.

Kizmet has already knocked one ornament to the floor and is eyeing another. But since the ornaments are shatterproof, no harm, no foul!

I love this picture from last year when Mr. Jazz was with us. With all the interesting shapes and colors of ornaments to choose from today your faux tree can look absolutely gorgeous and still be safe!

I made our artificial tree even more special by making homemade leopard ornaments and bows to accent the tree. With a little bit of ingenuity, a basic tree can become a designer’s dream come true and the start of new traditions!

You should also avoid draping your tree with tinsel – most cats are mesmerized by the shiny decoration and if ingested it can become entangled in their intestines, causing them to twist and close off requiring expensive and dangerous surgery. If you need something shiny for the tree, try non-breakable icicle types of ornaments or garland. And the same holds true with all those fancy ribbons, strings, and yarns that we tie on our gifts. They are irresistible to cats and there are other ways to make a gift look festive that don’t involve a potential accident to a cat such as larger grosgrain ribbon, decorative gift tags, or big bows.

Tinsel, ribbons, strings, and yarn are not the only dangers to a cat – don’t forget that all those plastic bags you bring into the house to carry gifts, food, and whatnot can also be a hazard. I learned that lesson first hand when Zoey got startled by something and ran off with the handle of a bag around her head. Everything turned out okay but  I now know to either cut the handles or immediately put the bags away somewhere that they can’t get to them. I would give the same advice for any bag with a handle for that matter, such as gift bags that a curious kitty might want to check out. (This is Rolz in the picture and he has since learned he is no longer allowed to snoop around in plastic bags)

And those gorgeous live holiday plants that I used to love to display, such as mistletoe, poinsettia, holly berries, hibiscus, and amaryllis blooms, can all be toxic to one degree or another if they are ingested by your cat. Lilies are also problematic – many varieties, including Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Stargazer and the Casa Blanca-can cause kidney failure in cats.

Toxicity in these plants ranges from mild to severe and the amount of plant consumed determines how sick a pet may become. In general, gastrointestinal upset is the most common symptom, but if enough plant material is ingested, seizures, excessive thirst and urination, vomiting or diarrhea, erratic behavior, a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, coma or death is possible. Typically your cat will not ingest enough to cause harm and it is usually not necessary to treat them, but to be safe, it is highly recommended you visit your veterinarian no matter how much you think your cat has eaten. You can also call the Animal Poison Control Center for advice at (888) 426-4435.

If you need a safe  mistletoe fix, Kizmet is offering free kisses for the taking!

I now decorate around my house with silk poinsettia’s – they are so realistic looking that it is hard to tell the difference and if I get any live holiday plants as gifts they find a nice home outside since I don’t have to worry about snow or cold temperatures. The same with candles – there are so many beautiful one’s available now that are flameless – they still give a nice glow about the house but you don’t have to worry about kitty burning a curious paw or knocking them over and starting the house on fire!

Okay, so I’ve covered the decorations, but what about all those yummy holiday foods and drinks? I always knew that chocolate could be dangerous for our pets, but so are grapes, raisins, nuts (especially macadamia’s) as well as rich and fatty foods like gravy or grease that can cause problems ranging from an upset stomach to pancreatitis. Unless it is Temptations Treats, my cats are not really driven by food, but I could see them being attracted to eggnog and if you make it with alcohol that could cause serious intoxication to a cat that is drawn to the creamy liquid, so please be sure to clean up and thoroughly rinse all glasses before bedtime no matter how exhausted you are.

About the only food that tempts my cats is Temptations treats. But that does not mean I should not be careful – a grape or nut could easily look like a toy to a cat, especially if it falls to the floor and rolls around like a round ball.

It’s just best to respect that your cat is a cat rather than spend the holidays stressing out. They will need their private time in the midst of all the hustle and bustle and if you have company coming that is especially true. Make sure that they have access to a private room with food, water, and litter to feel safe and secure and if you are thinking the holidays are a good time to bring a new pet into the house, please consider that despite your good intentions, it is probably not a good idea. Getting a new pet is best when people have the proper time to devote to a new furry family member and the holidays can be very traumatic to an animal even in the best of times. Why not celebrate the New Year when things calm down with a new pet!

Providing a room where kitty can feel safe and secure is extremely important during the holidays.

These are just some general guidelines – in many instances they apply to other pets and even small children. Bottom line – it is always better to be safe than sorry. Our pets are part of our family and it is up to us to make sure that we give them a warm, safe, secure, and loving environment, after all, isn’t that what the spirit of the holidays really is about?