We traditionally worry about dogs and chocolate toxicity, I had a very costly Christmas one year when my dog consumed a box of dark chocolate, but what about cats? Chocolate is also toxic to cats, although the amount a cat needs to eat to make them ill is a lot higher than for dogs. Signs of chocolate poisoning including being sick and passing diarrhoea, drinking a lot, appearing drunk, trembling or even having a fit. Hopefully, a cat’s lesser interest in sweet treats means this risk is small. Similarly, grapes and raisins, known for causing kidney damage in dogs, may affect cats but poisoning is much less common. It would be wise, however, to seek veterinary advice for cats known to have eaten these foods, and suggest that for example mince pies are not left out.
On the subject of food, it may be tempting to treat your cat this Christmas, perhaps extra cat treats or some scraps from the Christmas dinner. While a little left-over turkey will be enjoyed by the majority of cats without harm, excessive treats and human food could make a cat poorly so do try and stick to their normal feeding routine this time of year; they won’t know they are missing out! Another hazard can be cooked poultry bones – they are hard for cats to digest and can get stuck in the digestive system so make sure your cats can’t raid the bin after the Christmas lunch.
