'Tis the Season To Take Special Care of Our Four-Legged Friends
Follow these tips and share them with others to help keep pets safe during the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays.
by Cat Connection

Each year during the winter holidays, thousands of pets are seriously injured or become ill. It's a busy time full of much planning, shopping, cooking, and rushing to and from parties and get-togethers. Sometimes it's easy to forget the four-legged members of the family during the rush and festivities. They are as excited as we are and there may be many hazards waiting for their curious ways.

Holiday Safety Tips
• Don't be suprised to find your kitty underfoot in the kitchen while holiday meals are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. Pets can easily tip them over causing scalding and burns.

• Don't feed pets cooled drippings, large quantities of cooked turkey meat, holiday hams, or bones. Human seasonings aren't good for pets and the rich stock and drippings can upset your kitty's tummy. Poultry bones in particular can splinter easiy causing internal damage if swallowed. Also, you don't want to encourage begging when the family sits down for meals.

• Holiday costumes for your cat may look cute at get-togethers or in family photos, but pet owners should be wary of costumes which use rubber bands to keep them in place. If these bands are accidentally chewed off or swallowed, choking and possible intestinal injuries may occur. Or, they can sometimes irritate or become embedded in the pet's skin. Also, never leave ribbons around your pets neck while they are unsupervised. If the ribbon is accidentally caught on an object they can become too tight and cause choking.

• Don't leave holiday treats sitting out. Most animals love the sweet taste of candy, especially chocolate. If consumed in a large quantity or over a period of time, chocolate may be fatal to animals, particulary cats.

• Hang your treasured ornaments higher on the Christmas tree and place wooden, medallion, resin-cast, or the like on the lower branches in case curious paws want to play with bright and colorful ornaments. Replace all metal hooks with tightly knotted fabric 1/4" ribbons, light-weight twine or yarn to slip easily over the branches of the tree. And remember, while tinsel isn't toxic, intestinal obstruction and choking are potential problems if it is ingested so we recommend not using it.

• A number of holiday season plants are poisonous to pets if nibbled or eaten. In general, it's wise to keep all plants out of your pets' reach. Listed below are just a few.
Ivy - moderate to very toxic, all parts.
Holly - moderate to ver toxic, especially the berries and leaves.
Mistletoe - very toxic, all parts, especially the berries.
Christmas greens such as balsam, juniper, cedar, pine and fir - all parts have a low level of toxicity.
Hibiscus - may cause vomitting or bloody diarrhea if ingested.
Poinsettias - leaves and stems are low in toxicity.

• Please do not give kittens or pets of any age as Christmas gifts. Remember, the first weeks in a new home can be stressfull for any animal under normal circumstances. Instead, give gifts of pet supplies, food, and accessories. Then after the hustle and bustle of the holidays, your loved one can bring a pet of their choice home for some peaceful one-on-one bonding time.

• During New Year's celebrations, be alert to any pet hazards such as fun noise-makers and confetti which can easily pose a serious threat to your pet's health. Noise-makers can frighten your pet causing them to bolt out an open door, window, or leap to a precarious area in search of safety. Confetti can be ingested, wreaking havoc on their digestive tract.

• Increased activity and visitors during the winter holiday season can upset your pet's routine. Try to keep your pet on his regular schedule for feeding and exercise and be sure give them plenty of love and attention.

• If you are planning to take your kitty with you when visiting friends and realatives during the holidays, be sure to contact them in advance to find out if your cat is welcome. We highly recommend boarding your pet if there is any doubt.