Tis the season. The lights are up, the tinsel is sparkling, the fridge is stocked and the mistletoe is hung. And the tree is also up, which means you’ve got a serious health risk ready to ruin your otherwise perfect Holiday for you and your cat. Cat are by nature curious, playful creatures, and some of them will become very mischievous if given the chance, and the little pine needles that fall off your Christmas tree over the course a few week provide a temptation they might not be able to resist.

Natural Christmas trees you buys at you local church or vacant lot were most likely grown a few hundred miles away on a farm or in the woods, and are usually treated with herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals to preserve them through the Holidays. The chemicals concentrated in the boughs and the needles can become toxic.

If ingested, this chemical cocktail can make your cat very sick. Symptoms range from vomiting and diarrhea to coughing and loss of appetite, which can make for an unpleasant Holiday break. Hopefully your cat will vomit up the needles and not repeat the mistake. But, in the event that the needles make it into your cat’s digestive tract, then the real problems begin. The needles can damage or even puncture the lining of you cat’s stomach or intestine, and could result in a very large veterinary bill or even worse.

So, what are the best ways to minimize the risks of this kind of disaster? Here are three easy steps toward keeping your cat safe:


 

  1. Spray an anti-cat spray at the base of the tree. This is usually made with bitter lemon oils, is completely non toxic, and will keep your cat away from the tree.
  2. Sweep Up. If your cat is prone to get into trouble, frequent sweeping up of the needles is an easy way to lower risk.
  3. Deny Access. Keep furniture away from the tree so your cat can’t get at the boughs and needles still on the tree. You know your cat best, so if she’s mischievous, take as much precaution as you can.

This might seem like a lot of trouble to go through, but consider the alternatives and you’ll agree that it is the best gift you can give yourself and you cat this Holiday season.