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Midwest Feline
Medical Center
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Seasonal & Holiday Hazards

Most poisonings we see are preventable — a friend brought lilies over, the kids dropped a candy on the floor, the new houseplant turned out to be toxic. Here’s what to watch for, season by season.

Winter Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s)

  • Lilies (including Easter, tiger, day, Asiatic). All parts highly toxic to cats — even pollen. Avoid bouquets entirely.
  • Christmas tree water. Often contains preservatives, fertilizer, or bacteria — block access.
  • Tinsel and ribbon. Linear foreign bodies can cut the intestines — a true emergency.
  • Onions, garlic, and chives in stuffing. Toxic in even small amounts.
  • Chocolate, especially baking chocolate. Theobromine toxicity — vomiting, tremors, heart issues.
  • Xylitol in sugar-free gum and baked goods. Less studied in cats than dogs but still suspected toxic — keep out of reach.
  • Open doors with guests coming and going. A common cause of escaped indoor cats. Use a baby gate or closed bedroom.

Spring (Easter, gardening season)

  • Easter lilies. Re-emphasizing because the toxicity is catastrophic — kidney failure within 24–72 hours.
  • Easter grass / plastic basket fill. Linear foreign body risk.
  • Cocoa mulch in gardens. Same toxicity as chocolate.
  • Fertilizers and pesticides. Keep cats indoors when applying lawn treatments and for 24–48 hours after.

Summer

  • Heat in parked cars and sunrooms. Cats overheat fast. Don’t leave them in any space without ventilation.
  • Citronella candles and essential oils. Many essential oils are toxic to cats — never apply topically or diffuse in a closed room.
  • Fireworks anxiety. Provide a quiet hiding spot, draw blinds, and ask about anti-anxiety meds for known reactive cats.
  • Open windows without secure screens. "High-rise syndrome" — cats fall from upper-floor windows every summer.

Fall (Halloween)

  • Chocolate candy. See winter — same risks.
  • Glow sticks. The fluid is bitter and causes profuse drooling and vomiting (not usually lethal, but very unpleasant).
  • Costumes. Most cats hate them. If you must, ensure nothing constricts breathing, vision, or movement.
  • Black cats and Halloween. Many shelters advise keeping black cats indoors around Halloween to reduce theft risk.

Location

1350 Triad Center Dr.St. Peters, MO 63376

Contact

frontdesk@midwestfeline.com(636) 442-2228
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Hours

Mon – Fri
8am – 5pm
Sat – Sun
Closed
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