Pet Cat and Pine Needles

[Savage Idealist]

So my family and I finally put up our Christmas tree just days before Christmas, the usual family tradition of doing stuff at the last minute. However, we have a pet cat whom likes to munch down on all the houseplants whenever he can, and of course we usually saty vigilant and prevent him from doing so lest he make himself ill. However, the Christmas tree that we have seems to be dropping a lot of pine needles and I'm worried that he might try to eat those pine needles when we're not watching him at any given moment. So my questions is, are pine needles dangerous for the cat to ingest? If so what could potentially happen to him? Thanks.

 

[Eilonwy]

I googled it and the articles I read said that pine needles can puncture internal organs and are toxic to cats. They said one or two needles a day probably won't be a problem, but might cause vomiting. Best to try to keep the tree watered as much as possible so it doesn't drop so many needles (but keep the cat from drinking that water as it may also have toxins in it) and sweep up what does drop. Recommended making other areas of the house more attractive to the cat to keep its attention away from the tree. Hope that helps! Good luck!

 

[Savage Idealist]

Damage to internal organs? Ew. But yeah, I'll make sure to keep the tree watered and prevent the cat from chowing down on it. Thanks.