To see our lovely Thanksgiving image in full, please click to enlarge.

It’s Thanksgiving and all of us at Zee and Zoey’s would like to take the opportunity to give our thanks for all the blessings we have in our life. From being able to pay our bills, to having a warm meal every night, to the love of our family and friends – our plate is full of gratitude and we wish you and yours the best the day can bring.

Don’t forget while you are enjoying the day that it can be one filled with some hidden dangers for our beloved feline friends. Especially those like our Jazmine who is a beggar extraordinaire and will eat anything that comes across her path. Her motto – eat it first and worry about it later. You can’t turn your eye with her and with all the extra cooking, wrappings (like Saran wrap), foods, and commotion, she will definitely be a handful.

It is virtually impossible to resist Jazmine’s charms, but when it comes to potentially dangerous foods, we have to remain strong!

If you have a cat like her, please be aware that even though it is tempting to feed those that we love because they are so irresistibly cute, many foods are dangerous and precautions need to be taken. A bite or two of turkey is okay, but don’t go overboard with it and no cooked bones because they have the potential to splinter if ingested. Make sure the turkey is fully cooked as well to prevent salmonella bacteria.

And be aware that things like garlic, onions, and shallots that we might like to use to flavor our vegetables, mashed potatoes, and stuffing is dangerous to cats and can cause Heinz body anemia. Many cats are also lactose intolerant, so if you cook with half-and-half, that could be a problem.

Just use common sense – for instance, your kitty might beg to lick the spoon you used to make a cake or biscuits, but if the batter contains raw eggs, that poses the same threat as under cooked turkey and raw dough also has the potential to rise in your pet’s stomach, leading to vomiting or other internal problems. Alcohol is also a no-no as it has a much stronger effect on our pets than it does us, so even a small amount can lead to serious symptoms.

The best rule of thumb is to do everything in moderation – don’t allow them to overindulge in these rich holiday foods and keep your eyes on your counter, tables, stove, and anywhere else you might have food because all it takes is a split second for a disaster to occur.

Whew… that said, enjoy your day and have a wonderful Thanksgiving all!!