Whether you’re a die hard fan of the festive season, or a festive fan of Die Hard like me, (which absolutely counts as a Christmas film, by the way in which), our cats can get into all types of mischief right now of yr. Even when you – or they – don’t observe this particular holiday, there are many ways they will find themselves on the unsuitable end of a bit of tinsel, or lapping up a puddle of spilt eggnog.
Any of the hazards below could land you within the emergency vets over the vacation period, so before you let the nice times roll, take a go searching your private home and ensure you retain these things out of the reach of your curious cat.
So within the spirit of cheesy Christmas carols, I provide you with: The 12 Dangers of Christmas.
🎵 On the twelfth Day of Christmas, My Feline Tried to Eat… 🎶
12. Tasty Chocolates
As all of us probably know, chocolate is definitely toxic to pets, and that features our cats. Packed stuffed with theobromine and caffeine, this delicious sweet could cause dangerous elevations in heart rate, low blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures. The darker the chocolate, the more severe the results.
11. Mince pies
Depending on the recipe getting used, fruit mince pies are made with quite a lot of ingredients, with sultanas and currants at the highest of the list. Grapes, in any form, are highly toxic to cats (and dogs), and can lead to kidney failure.
10. Christmas lilies
There are two sorts of lilies that is likely to be around in the course of the holiday season, true lilies, that are extremely toxic to cats, and the Christmas lily, which isn’t technically a lily. Amaryllis is a lily-like flower that may be a popular decorative plant which may cause a life-threatening drop in blood pressure if cats eat the flower, leaves or stem, with the bulb of this plant being its most toxic part.
Every a part of the normal lily is very toxic to cats, with most poisonings resulting from cats licking pollen that has brushed against their fur.
9. Fairy lights
Image credit: nadtochiy, Shutterstock
Take an attractive wire and make it sparkly and shiny; you’ve got a tempting toy for a lot of playful felines. Electric shocks are a possibility in case your curious cat decides to chew through the wire, but ingestion of the plastic and wires might be the largest worry.
8. Holly berries
These attractive red berries might look tasty, but they are literally toxic to cats, dogs, and humans. Fortunately the results aren’t normally life threatening, but in case your cat eats them, they will suffer with severe gastrointestinal upset including vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and pain.
7. Serves of Stuffing
Most stuffing comprises garlic and onions, each of that are toxic to cats. They cause a severe anemia by damaging the red blood cells, which may take several days to turn out to be apparent.
6. Cups of Eggnog
Although this delicious holiday beverage isn’t as dangerous as a few of the other items on our list, with ingredients like condensed milk, sugar, cream, nutmeg, cinnamon and brandy, this isn’t something that ought to find yourself in a cat’s saucer.
5. Forms of Meat
Obviously cats eat meat, and meat is sweet for cats. Nevertheless, the meat we enjoy in the vacation season is mostly not prepared with the feline gastrointestinal system in mind. The high levels of fat, oil, and grease are a recipe for a serious digestive disaster, and the gravy, stuffing and seasonings may be much more dangerous. Plain cooked meats are secure to your kitty, but keep the basted turkey and cured ham off their plate.
4. Poinsettia leaves
Image credit: Ray_Shrewsberry, Pixabay
This beautiful plant with its shiny red and green foliage is a firm festive favorite, and a fantastic gift for the one who has every thing! The milky sap is the first problem, but the excellent news is that serious toxicity is sort of rare. Probably the most common complaints are skin irritation, drooling, and mouth pain, but some cats can find yourself with vomiting and diarrhea in the event that they overindulge.
3. Christmas Puddings
Very similar to our fruit mince pies, sultanas and currants abound in Christmas cakes and puddings, so you should definitely keep them out of reach.
2. Mistletoe
This unassuming little plant might put a smile in your face and a kiss in your lips, but you’d higher you should definitely stick with it high where it belongs. Cats that munch on mistletoe can experience vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory difficulties, even death, so when you’re hanging it from the ceiling, ensure it’s somewhere your curious cat can’t reach.
1. Baubles and strands of Tinsel
Cats don’t often find yourself on the vets for eating foreign objects, but the large exceptions are things like string, wool, cotton thread, or fishing line. And tinsel is just fancy looking string! They chase it, play with it, and sometimes chew and swallow it. These linear foreign bodies can get stuck within the intestines, causing them to bunch up and turn out to be obstructed, which could be very dangerous.
Cats and glass baubles don’t mix. Notorious for fiddling with hanging ornaments, they will knock these fragile decorations off the tree, leaving shards of glass that may cut into their paws. In the event that they manage to drag them down without breaking them, the bauble could shatter of their mouths in the event that they are playing and chewing.
Now I don’t want you to start out worrying that death and disaster is lurking around every corner this holiday season, but it surely’s at all times good to concentrate on what problems could arise in case your feline friend decides to climb your Christmas tree, help themselves to some holiday lunch, or munch in your festive floral arrangements. There are plenty of ways to make things a bit safer for our cats this Christmas, but just in case, you should definitely check the vacation arrangements of your veterinary practice, and keep the variety of a Pet Poisons Hotline close by.
From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas, Blissful Hanukkah, Joyful Winter Solstice, or simply enjoy spending time with family members over the vacation season. May your days be furry and shiny.
