Keeping pets safe and happy during the holidays 🐶🐱

[Marjo]

Hi guys, how are you doing today?

Christmas time can be a fun celebration for us humans, but if we're not careful, it can be dangerous for our pets. 😞 There are some obvious and some not-so-obvious treats that we normally have during the holidays that can actually be harmful to our cats and dogs if they happen to eat them. Apart from foods, there are also items that are potentially dangerous that pet owners should take into account to minimise risks.

These foods are bad for dogs, cats or both:

• Chocolate is poisonous to both cats and dogs
• All grapes and raisins are poisonous to dogs (mince pies and Christmas puddings!)
• Blue cheese is bad for dogs
• So are macadamia nuts
• Garlic, chives and onion
• Alcohol

 

These items should be used with caution around pets:

• Tinsel if ingested can cause blockages
• Snow globes - if a cat breaks it and licks the liquid, it can be fatal (it can contain anti-freeze)
• Candles left unmonitored can cause a fire if a cat or dog gets curious, and can of course burn their little paws or whiskers
• Fairy lights when chewed on or played with can burn and even electrocute a pet
• Some Christmas time plants/flowers are poisonous to cats and dogs, such as poinsettia and mistletoe. 
• Lilies can be fatal to cats
• As Cleoriff mentioned in another topic (thanks for the tip!), Christmas trees can also be a risk if your pet chews the branches (can cause obstruction)

 

Were any of these surprising to you guys? I wasn't aware of the blue cheese one. Do you know of any other foods or items we often use at Christmas time that we should be careful with around pets?

I found some instruction videos on the RSPCA website on how to make DIY cat and dog treats for Christmas, if you'd like your pets to have their own, safe, Christmas treats and want some inspiration! 🐶🐱

• Some more tips on the PDSA website on keeping pets calm during the busy holiday period
• Tips on the Pets at Home website for keeping pets safe during Christmas time
• List of 10 hazards for pets at Christmas time here

[Cleoriff]

My cats love a little bit of cheese, though NOT blue cheese as I don't like it!

This part was interesting @Marjo 

Christmas plants may look pretty but poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, amaryllis, ferns and pine sap are poisonous to cats and dogs

However they missed one very important plant out of the list. Lilies (often sent in Christmas bouquets)

The stamen of lilies are poisonous to cats. What's worse, the stamen usually drop from the lily to the floor.

When I first learnt this I had lilies in my garden. I dug them all up. If I get a bouquet which contains lilies, I cut the stamen off when the flower opens.

Obviously the stamen are the brown orange stalks in the middle.

Apart from poisoning cats, they stain clothes and you have a hell of a job removing the stain.

The link below gives quite frightening info....

https://www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-advice/cat-advice/lily-poisoning-in-cats/ 

[Marjo]

Oh that's helpful info @Cleoriff ! I knew about lilies being bad for cats, but not that it's the specific part of the flower that's poisonous. I also didn't know about the ferns and pine sap! 

[Cleoriff]

@Marjo 

Actually I learnt something new from that link. It's not just the stamen which are poisonous, it's the leaves and flowers as well. Even the water the lilies stand in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I shall now ban lilies full stop!!

[Marjo]

 

It reminds me, I don't usually have any plants at home due to my cats always destroying them, but I did once browse around in a flower market stall, thinking it might be nice to get a new plant, hoping the cats would leave it alone this time. I asked if they have anything that are poisonous to pets, and they said no, everything is absolutely safe. I didn't buy anything although some plants looked quite nice and I was considering going back one day to get one. I don't remember which plants they were anymore, but they were definitely poisonous to cats. The person just didn't tell me. 😞 Made me feel bad and I wonder if anyone else had actually bought those and got told incorrect information. I had googled it when I got home.

[Cleoriff]

I did think of your Arthur and Drake @Marjo . You have posted a photo of a plant knocked on it's side with the compost all over the floor.

I think you would be better with artificial plants. They do some beautiful ones in Dunelm. Even large freestanding ones. Expensive, but they last forever. Also quite cat proof. 

[Marjo]

I might be able to have plants if I hang them from the ceiling high enough so the cats won't reach actually. Maybe in my next flat (moving sometime next year) I'll set something up for that! I do love plants and flowers.

It's the same with plastic plants unfortunately. I've had a few, thinking it would be great as the cats wouldn't destroy them, but... Drake likes to chew plastic and then vomit up the pieces, so that would be a no, and then in addition to that, Arthur would just throw them around, rip them apart, and most likely carry them to the bottom of the stairs like he does with many other loose objects in the house.  He likes to leave presents down there and I find the most random things on the shoe rack when I get home from work. 

Having said that, if there are "plastic" plants where the leaves are made of canvas/cloth somehow, that might work. At least with Drake. Maybe I'll glue the pots on the shelf. 

[gmarkj]

Cactus/Cacti?

[jonsie]

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@gmarkj wrote:
Cactus/Cacti?

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How cruel are you?

[liggerz87]

funny how he was sleeping