Oh, the lovely tree with tinsel, ornaments, power cords, and all those ribbons to play with! Christmas, with all its trappings, is a wonderland of trouble waiting to happen to cats and kittens.

The younger the cat, the more diligent the owner must be. Think of a kitten as a young child, curious about every new thing that enters the house. How does it taste? What does it feel like? Will it make noise if I play with it? Does it come apart? Can I reach it? If you haven’t already, please keep these things in mind while you are decorating and wrapping presents this year…

The Christmas tree is an especially attractive new toy; just “purrfect” for climbing to snag that tempting something hanging from the tip of a branch. Who hasn’t seen the videos of a tree tipping over, spilling water and breaking ornaments? A cat-loving friend of mine used to hang her tree upside down. This worked for keeping the cats at bay, and was quite the conversation piece, but it was a bit challenging to keep green.

While tree-tipping and ornament-breaking is a problem for owners, the real issue is safety for the pet and the family:

Power cords that are chewed can cause electrical shock and increase the chances of fire.

Small pieces of ornaments can be swallowed by both pets and small children; a potential choking hazard. If the ornaments are glass, there is the danger of cuts from broken ones.

Ribbons and tinsel, if ingested by cats, can cause blockages in the intestines, resulting in high vet bills and possible death. Wrapping presents inventively, without the use of those enticing loose ribbons, can add a new level of visual pleasure to the gifts piled under the tree. Forego the tinsel forever.

Open flames from candles can easily cause fires if knocked over by a pet. Imagine the tree tipping over into one of these.

Poinsettias, evergreens and mistletoe are poisonous to cats.

With a few precautions, it is still very possible for both you and your pet to have a safe and happy Christmas. I wish you and your furry friends a joyous season.