Make sure you and your pet’s holidays go smoothly by watching out for special hazards: toxic foods and plants and decorations that could cause harm this time of year.

View Holiday Pet Safety Tips infographic

Keep the festivities merry and bright by preventing a pet emergency. Here’s what to keep in mind with pets in the home.

Place decor out of paws’ reach

• Lit candles – curious pets may get too close to the flame and get burnt. But even if your pet isn’t interested in flames, lit candles pose a fire hazard for pets with long hair that may get too close. Keep lit candles well out of reach of pets, or consider battery-powered candles to get that same flickering ambiance.
• Tinsel and ribbon – these objects are highly intriguing to a curious kitty or pup, and if they ingest ribbon or tinsel, it can get caught up in their intestinal tract and result in a veterinary emergency.
• Electrical cords – chewing on cords that are plugged in puts your pet at risk of electrocution. Hide cords, tape them down, use cord covers, or use baby gates to keep your pet out of the room entirely.
• Fragile ornaments – if accidentally broken, the shards of glass or ceramic can cause injury to your pet.

Practice tree safety

• Vacuum up needles to prevent ingestion.
• Keep tree water covered to prevent your pet from drinking it.
• Anchor your tree to a wall if you have a climbing kitty, or surround it with a baby fence to keep pets away.

Dangerous holiday foods

Some foods are hazardous or toxic to pets, so be sure to keep holiday foods out of reach, and secure your trash can.

• Poultry bones and fatty meat
• Raw yeast dough
• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• Grapes and raisins
• Macadamia nuts

Keep toxic holiday plants out of reach

• Lilies
• Holly
• Poinsettias
• Mistletoe