Top safety tips to avoid a pet emergency for your cat this Thanksgiving

Turkey with all the fixings, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie—we look forward to these delicious Thanksgiving dishes all year! With so many tasty treats to tempt our cats, it’s not surprising that our holiday feasts cause the majority of Thanksgiving-related pet emergencies. 

The most common Thanksgiving dangers usually come in one of a few flavors:

• Toxic foods: Our culinary masterpieces can sometimes hide ingredients that are poisonous to cats, like chocolate, grapes, raisins, currants, onions, garlic, and artificial sweeteners like xylitol. 
• Fatty foods: Butter, meat drippings, gravies, dark turkey meat and other fatty foods can cause gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea and vomiting). Worse yet, fatty foods can cause inflammation of the pancreas, a condition known as pancreatitis, which may require hospitalization.
• Obstructive foods: Bones, fruit pits and twine from trussing the turkey may get stuck in the digestive tract, potentially requiring surgical removal. Yeast dough is also problematic, not only expanding dangerously in the stomach, but the alcohol from fermenting yeast is rapidly absorbed into your cat’s bloodstream, resulting in alcohol poisoning and posing a double danger. 
• Decorations: Floral arrangements may contain flowers that are toxic to cats. Each plant can pose a different danger. Most varieties of lilies can be deadly for cats—even the vase water and pollen can result in severe, acute kidney failure. Candles can also result in burns or accidentally get knocked over. 

Cats can get quite crafty trying to get to the mouth-watering fare, but a few precautions will keep their eager stomachs out of harm’s way:

• Keep all food and drink out of reach. Make sure there aren’t chairs or other furniture nearby that cats can jump up on to reach higher surfaces.
• Consider blocking off the kitchen when you’re not around to supervise. This is especially a good idea if your cat is a Houdini at finding ways to get at supposedly unreachable food.
• Secure all garbage cans so that they can’t be knocked over or have their lids knocked off.
• Remind children and guests not to give your cat any food. Have fun, cat-friendly treats available instead.
• Make decoration choices with your cat’s safety in mind.

If you believe your cat has eaten something toxic, don’t panic. If possible, figure out what was eaten, then contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (1-888-426-4435) right away. 

Wellness questions, toxic ingestion, upset belly—no matter what comes up this Thanksgiving, support is only a few taps away. Stay connected with free 24/7 Live Chat!* >>

*Live Chat with a licensed veterinary professional is free for VCA clients through the myVCA mobile app, available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.