Cats and Christmas trees: Tips to keep both Meow-Mix and your tree safe

All:

Put a tree in the house with shiny things dangling from the branches and what do you get? One happy cat!

Here are some tips to help both pets and your tree safe. I talked to my friend Steve Beck (4-H Companion Animal Projects), who suggested the following:

• Avoid thin, string-like decorations, such as tinsel and Easter grass. It can get trapped in the pet's body, where it can work like a saw and damage the organs.
• Place ornaments, especially the fragile ones, high on the tree. Use ribbon to tie ornaments to the tree.
• Attach the tree to the wall: Put an eye hook in the ceiling or in the wall and then use fishing line to secure the tree.
• Use a tree skirt to keep your pets out of the water; this will keep them safe from bacteria in standing water and any fertilizer used

Here is a picture of my little darling, Trixie Belden, before making the ascent into the tree.

Ready to proceed climbing!

Sources: 

• S. Beck, S (personal communication, December 5, 2014)
• OSU College of Veterinary Medicine. (Winter 2003). Companion animal newsletter. Retrieved December 5, 2014 from http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/files/Publications/CompanionAnimalNews/comp%20an%20news_fall%2003.pdf.
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). (n.d.). Holiday safety tips. Retrived December 5, 2014 from https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/holiday-safety-tips