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Keeping Your Cat Safe During the Winter Holidays

Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa – and all the celebrations they entail pose safety problems for pets. Aside from the overexcitement and confusion caused by too many guests, there are purely physical problems: A cat can singe a tail on a candle or can swallow tinsel and wind up with an intestinal blockage that may need surgery to repair.

“Overall, clinic visits at this time of year increase slightly,” says Dr. Debra Primovic, a veterinarian at the Animal Emergency Clinic in St. Louis. “But we see more cases of toxicity, cases related to an animal’s biting an electrical cord or cases related to a pet eating chocolate or table scraps and developing pancreatitis.”

Here’s how to keep a pet safe during this holiday season:

The Tree

The Gifts

The Food

Indoor Hazards

Outdoor Hazards