The holiday season is a time for joy, celebration, and time with loved ones, including your furry friend. While you revel in the festivities, stay aware of potential hazards that can pose risks to your pet. Our Memorial Animal Hospital team explores common holiday dangers for cats and dogs and provides tips on how to keep them safe, ensuring a happy and healthy season for all.

Pet holiday hazard: Festive decorations

Holiday decorations add a magical touch to your home, but some can be hazardous to your pet. When creating a winter wonderland, use caution to keep your furry pal safe around the following decorations:

  • Christmas trees — A curious pet will be eager to investigate the tree, so a barrier may be necessary to keep your cat or dog from toppling your Christmas tree. A barrier will also keep your pet from drinking tree-stand water, which may contain chemicals, bacteria, or mold. When decorating the tree, particularly the areas your pet can reach, choose pet-friendly ornaments and avoid small, breakable decorations that can be ingested or cause injury.
  • Tinsel and ribbons — Shiny tinsel and curly ribbons are especially attractive to cats, but these stringy strands can wrap around your cat’s tongue or become lodged in their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Avoid using tinsel, garland, ribbons, or other strings to decorate your tree or wrap gifts, and opt for pet-friendly alternatives.
  • Candles and cords — However you choose to light your home, ensure your pet keeps their paws—and mouth—off. Flickering candle flames can entice your inquisitive pet to investigate, but your cat or dog can experience singed whiskers, paws, or worse. Electrical cords snaking across your floor can also attract your furry pal, and they may gnaw the “toy,” receiving a shocking surprise in return. Prevent your furry pal from experiencing shocks and burns by using battery-operated candles and cord covers, or by positioning these items well out of your pet’s reach.

Pet holiday hazard: Toxic foods

The holiday season is the perfect excuse to overindulge in delicious meals, but certain festive foods can be harmful to pets. Refrain from sharing the following hazardous holiday foods with your four-legged friend:

  • Turkey and ham — Crispy turkey skin, meaty drumsticks, and glazed ham slices may seem like a wonderful way to spoil your pet this holiday, but these meats are best kept for yourself. Seasonings and high fat and sodium content can cause toxicity and pancreatitis in your pet, so stick to small pieces of boneless, skinless, unseasoned turkey breast if you can’t stop yourself from sharing.
  • Casseroles and side dishes — Rich casseroles are packed full of flavorful ingredients, but foods used to enhance your side dishes’ flavor can upset your pet’s stomach or be toxic. Avoid foods such as onions, garlic, chives, currants, and dairy products, as they can lead to anemia, kidney failure, or GI upset.
  • Sweet treats — Chocolate, nuts, sugar, xylitol, and many spices included in desserts and other sweets can be toxic or choking hazards, or can seriously upset your pet’s stomach.
  • Alcohol — Pets are more susceptible to alcohol’s effects than people are, and your cat or dog can quickly become intoxicated. Keep all alcoholic beverages, no matter how minimal the alcohol content, away from your pet.

Pet holiday hazard: Toxic plants

Many festive plants can cause your pet varying degrees of toxicity, so always check the ASPCA’s list of toxic plants before brightening up your home with blooms and greenery. Poinsettias, while not considered toxic, can be mildly irritating if ingested and cause your pet to vomit. Potentially harmful popular holiday plants include:

  • Holly
  • Mistletoe
  • Lilies
  • Yew
  • Amaryllis
  • Kalanchoe
  • Cyclamen

Pet holiday hazard: Overwhelming celebrations

Holiday celebrations can prove overwhelming for many, especially for pets who are unable to understand what all the fuss is about. When guests visit for festive fun, help your pet avoid these common problems:

  • Door dashing — All the comings and goings provide your pet with an escape opportunity. They may smell the fresh air, see the open door, and dart out to explore, only to continue running until lost. Double up on identification with a microchip and updated collar ID tags, and bar your pet from greeting guests as they arrive.
  • Forced interaction — People naturally gravitate toward pets, but not all cats and dogs are social butterflies and will not appreciate forced interaction. Give your pet a safe space in which to retreat when the festivities and guests become too much, and ensure their designated area remains off-limits to partygoers.
  • Unattended belongings — If you have company staying in your home, provide instructions on how to keep their belongings and your pet safe. Advise them to keep medications, snacks, gum, and toiletries inside zipped suitcases or behind closed doors, hang up purses and jackets, and put away clothing, shoes, and other items on which your pet may be tempted to chew.

By taking proactive measures and staying mindful of potential hazards, you can create a safe and festive environment for your pet during the holiday season. However, if your four-legged friend tries to steal snacks from your holiday feast or experiences a mishap with the Christmas tree, give our Memorial Animal Hospital team a call for help.