Since this is the first time crazy little Coco (remember her?) will be around for Christmas (I took her home last year after finals), I thought I’d research some good ways on how to pet-proof your home (or apartment) for the holidays.

My roommates and I just put up the most beautiful live tree:

so here are some tips that I’m going to use to make sure that 1) kitty doesn’t get sick and 2)our tree is still standing at the end of the day.

1. MarthaStewart.com: Anchor the Tree – To make sure that you’re little kitties don’t climb up your Christmas tree and knock it over, trying using cable to anchor your tree to the wall or the ceiling.

2. Dfs-pet-blog.com: Skip the Tinsel – Cats and dogs can’t resist anything shiny, and while that often means that they’re likely to play with it, when it comes to tinsel, it means that it’ll likely be eaten.  Tinsel can cause upset stomachs, gastro-intestinal problems and other stomach problems.

3. Clallam.net: Say No to Mistletoe – While for us Mistletoe causes some kisses, it can cause death in animals.  Both the leaves and the berries of the mistletoe plant are highly poisonous to pets, so if you’re serious about the smooching, switch to the plastic plants instead.

4. RealMacaw.com: Watch the Water – Pets are apt to drink water from anywhere (ie, dogs from the toilet bowl) which includes water from the tree stand.  To avoid your pets getting sick, refrain from adding chemicals to the tree water and make sure that the tree skirt is wrapped tightly around the trunk.  Also, make sure that pet water bowls are full so that thirsty pets don’t drink tree water because their water bowls are low.

5. News.Holidash.com: Hang Glass Ornaments High - Like with tinsel, glass and breakable ornaments should be avoided, but if they are a must for your holiday tree, make sure to hang them high and out of the reach of playful paws.

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