Christmas is the season to be merry but there are dangers around for pets, as our columnist Pauline Dewberry explains.

Christmas is a joyous time with families and friends getting together but where do our pets fit into this picture?

It can be a terrifying experience for kittens and cats. Lots of unfamiliar people milling around, legs to negotiate, loud noises and a whole minefield of potentially dangerous things to navigate.

Let’s start with the Christmas tree. What you put on the tree can be hazardous to our pets. Tinsel – could be swallowed; baubles can shatter, and chocolate treats hung on the branches are an open invitation for an opportunist dog.

Trees tend to drop their needles which can become embedded in paws causing a lot of pain and distress.

Dogs should be discouraged from drinking the water the tree is standing in. All trees are there to be climbed, whether the real McCoy or an artificial one, so make sure your tree is positioned somewhere safe.

Plants and foliage that are toxic to dogs and cats are: Poinsettias, mistletoe, holly (the berries are highly toxic to cats, dogs and humans), amaryllis, lily (entire plant is toxic), Christmas cactus, Christmas rose (entire plant is poisonous), ivy and daffodil. If you feel you have to have any or all these plants in your home, make sure they are off-limits to your pets.

It’s tempting to give our pets table treats. A little bit of cooked turkey or meat won’t hurt but I do mean a little bit. And nothing with bones in. Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, to name a few, are poisonous to dogs and cats and do not even think of giving them chocolate, which contains theobromine and caffeine. You can buy special chocolates for pets for their stockings.

If you’re having a houseful of people over Christmas and Boxing Day and you’ve only had your kittens or cat a short while, set aside a quiet room (like I suggested for firework night) where they’ll be able to curl up in their own beds, relax and sleep.

Make sure they’ve got a litter tray, bed, toys, food and water bowls (not placed too near the litter tray). Tell everyone that room is strictly off-limits as you don’t want them to get out, especially if they haven’t met your relatives before!

It goes without saying pets should never be given as presents at Christmas as they need a quiet period to adjust to their new surroundings. And many people, once the bills come in after Christmas, find they cannot afford to have Rover or little Fluffy after all and they’re often dumped, needlessly.

Follow these few paragraphs of advice and your Christmas will be awesome. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all.

Bexley-based Pauline is a pet behaviourist majoring in cat behaviour and also a pet bereavement counsellor. She also runs the website thedailymews.com