Beautiful, huh? Yes, it's a gorgeous room, but it's full of danger for your cat.
I was astonished to learn the statistics regarding Christmas trees. According to National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 350 million Christmas trees planted by farmers in the U.S. alone. Of those 350 million, 25-30 million are sold in the U.S.
You may be wondering what Christmas trees have to do with your cat.
The obvious answer is that if your cat is prone to climbing, or as I like to put it, be a "tree baby" (pun intended), there is a chance for injury. There are other reasons, too.
The sap from the tree is toxic to your cat. It can be found not only on the tree and needles themselves, but the water that the tree stands in.
Along with pine poisoning, comes the threat of the pesticides and fertilizers used in growing the tree, and chemicals that are used to enhance the look of it. These can cause kidney and/or liver failure, muscle weakness, labored breathing and digestive issues.
There is another danger with the needles of the tree. They can easily become lodged in the cat's throat, or rip her intestines, etc.
Then, you have the ornamentation of the tree. Tinsel and those shiny bulbs look like cat toys and are a huge temptation for the cat. If she chews on the tinsel, chances are that she will swallow it and it may wrap itself around the cat's intestines. Some of the ornaments used on the tree are made from breakable material and can cause damage to the cat's paws if stepped on and, of course, cut internal organs if swallowed.
Unfortunately, with the exception of the sap poisoning, artificial trees have the same dangers as do their live counterparts.
Solution: Raise your tree off the ground and out of reach of your little ones as above picture shows.You may think that it takes away from the beauty of the season, but better that than spending hundreds of dollars towards vet bills.
Have a happy and safe holiday!