Hanukkah Safety Tips for Cat Owners

You’re probably like New Window81% of Americans who say that owning a pet makes the holiday season even better, so there’s no question that you’ll want to get your pets involved in the Celebration of Lights.

However, before you set a place for your cat at the holiday table, consider these safety tips and ensure that Hanukkah is a joyous celebration for you and your entire family.

Keep Your Menorah Out of Reach

We all know cats love to climb and explore. Pair that with an open flame and you have a recipe for disaster. Keep your cat and your home safe by using an New Windowelectric menorah, or by keeping your kitty in a separate room while the candles are lit. As a matter of general safety, New Windowdon’t leave your candles unattended while lit at all.

Avoid Sharing Table Scraps

You probably know it’s not good to share table scraps with your cat, and on normal days you probably don’t. But there’s something about the holidays that makes you want to treat your cat to the delicious meal that you’ve prepared. Avoid this temptation, because human food and rich holiday foods can cause digestive distress in your cat.

Keep an Eye on the Festive Feast

Take food safety a step further than just not feeding scraps to your cat and make sure kitty doesn’t have New Windowaccess to the food without supervision. Those delicious smells filling your home haven’t gone unnoticed, and the temptation may be too great for your cat to pass up. Keep food covered and out of reach of your cat, so they don’t overindulge themselves on your holiday feast.

Protect Your Dreidels

The spinning of a dreidel is fun for your family, but your cat will probably want to get in on that action. You’ll not only want to protect your dreidel from kitty teeth and claws, but you’ll also want to protect your cat in general. Some dreidels are small and may pose a choking hazard, so don’t let your cat get their mouth around it.

Keep Your Gelt Out of Sight

These chocolate coins may be your favorite part of celebrating Hanukkah, but they can be toxic for your cat. Chocolate contains New Windowtheobromine, which animals can’t digest. Symptoms of your pet eating chocolate can be mild, but diarrhea will likely be involved, which is not the way you’ll want to spend your holiday.

Keep Giftwrap Safe

Ribbons, tape, paper, tissue, and bags will be out for 8 nights of gift exchanges, and those are all interesting new arrivals for a curious kitty. Keep your cat safe from ingesting these new items or getting tangled in ribbon by keeping gifts out of reach.

Enjoy celebrating each night of Hanukkah with your cat. Whether you involve them in the celebration by giving them their own kitty-safe treats and gifts, or just by spending more time playing and cuddling with them, your cat will love celebrating with you. Hanukkah Sameach!