When the holiday decorations come out, so does your kitty. To help, of course! If your kitties are like most happy healthy indoor kitties, any change in their environment needs to be investigated. And when they realize there are long sting like things, (lights), being dragged along the ground to get unwound and organized, oh my! There is only fun in store for a hunter! There are lots of beautiful things that come out for holiday decorating. But if you have a cat, there are some things to keep in mind to keep them safe, and your beautiful things beautiful for the season.

The water in the tree stand is not for the kitties. Of course, make sure your cat has lots of clean water available to him, like always. Cover the tree water as best you can, as pine trees have substances in them, that are in the base, and hence, will be in the water. Also, if you put your tree up soon after Thanksgiving, and why not this year, you may have added some fertilizer to make it last. Don’t let your pet eat the pine needles off the tree. Pine needles are considered poisonous to cats and can cause fatal liver damage. For the same reason, make sure you pick up any stray pine needles that may have fallen off the tree.

Keep the tinsel and the lights higher up the tree. Tinsel and broken lights are not are a cats list of digestible treats and will most likely result in a holiday trip to the ER.

Holiday plants that don’t mix with cats are holly, mistletoe, Amaryllis, and lilies. Cats are super sensitive to lilies. Keep all your holiday greenery where you kitty can’t get to them. According to the Spruce, pets, “You may wonder why the poinsettia is not listed as a toxic holiday plant. Although many people believe that poinsettias can kill their pets, that is a rarity. A pet would have to ingest a massive amount of this plant to cause poisoning, and most pets won’t eat a large enough amount because of the irritating taste and feel from the sap. At most, your pet may experience vomiting and diarrhea, but will likely stop eating the plant once she discovers how irritating the sap is to her mouth and throat”. But to be on the safe side, ensure all plants are kept out of paw’s reach.

Have some heirloom tree decorations that are important to the family? Keep them near the top of the tree. Low hanging balls are just begging to be swung at with active paws…. And if your cat is a climber, try spraying the tree with some bitter apple or other natural bitter tasting spray that will discourage your cat from starting the climbing process. You also might want to secure the tree with string to the nearest curtain rod or wall, in case your already in place discouragements don’t’ work. The last thing you want is to come into the room and find your tree on the floor!

Although many of us burn candles all year, most of us burn a candle at some time during the holidays. Burning candles and twitching tails are not a good mix. So many bad possibilities! Keep your candles above anywhere your cat can get to.

No need to talk about keeping your cats away from guests this year…. Hopefully, we can talk about keeping your house and party guests and your cats safe next year! Keep your kitties safe and enjoy your beautiful home decorations!