If we haven’t done so already, a lot of us are starting to dig those Christmas decorations out to get our homes looking festive.  When I was growing up, I always looked forward to when we put up our tree, and one of my regular yearly jobs was placing the tinsel strategically so it would glitter nicely amongst the twinkling lights.

This year, there will be absolutely NO tinsel on our tree.  Cats tend to play with strings of all kind, so tinsel makes an attractive toy to a cat, but it can become the cause of an emergency vet trip if your fluffy friend swallows it.  For years, I’ve also been flushing dental floss down the toilet after using it, as opposed to throwing it in the garbage can where the kitties can dig it out.  If these items are swallowed, they can become lodged in the intestines, cutting through tissue.  If this happens, your pet may pull through with some expensive abdominal surgery, but if it is not caught in time, it can be deadly.

This is equally true for dogs.  I see lots of useful posts this time of year, warning what kinds of treats are deadly to cats and dogs, and which ones are safe.  People are wise to ensure that their houseplants are not the kind that are toxic.  These are the issues that are mentioned more often and posted on the walls at the veterinarians’ offices, but sometimes the strings in our houses are overlooked.  For the safety of your pets, please makes sure you don’t have these lying around where your pets can access them and be injured or killed by ingesting them.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving (to our American friends)!