This week, we've decided to continue with our holiday theme and discuss some issues about cats and holiday safety.

Sinéad: As you probably know, we cats get quite excited when you bring a Christmas tree into your house. Especially indoor-only cats like Siouxsie and me, since we never get to go outside and climb trees.

Siouxsie: When we were kittens, Sinéad and I liked to climb Mama's Christmas tree. But she knew that might be an issue, so she did something really smart to keep us safe and the tree standing.

JaneA: My family has had cat and dog companions ever since I can remember. My mother taught me this little trick for keeping your tree safe from climbing kittens and wagging dog tails. Once you have your Christmas tree in its stand, leveled, and placed where you want it, all you need is some wreath wire or 50-pound test (or higher) fishing line, and a couple of nails or eye hooks. Put the eye hooks or nails in two place on opposite sides of the tree, about two-thirds the tree's height. So if your tree is six feet high, place the nails about 4 or 41/2 feet up. If you're using nails, be sure to hammer them in at a sharp angle, with the heads facing away from the tree, so the wire or fishing line won't slip off. Knot the wire or line around one nail, then wrap it around the trunk of the tree at about the same height as your nails, then fasten the wire to the other nail. Voilá! Your tree will keep standing even if your cats climb it or the dog runs into it. I prefer using fishing line because it doesn't show as much as wreath wire.

Sinéad: Mama also makes sure to place unbreakable ornaments on the lower part of the tree, so that if Siouxsie and I get bored and want to start batting at them, we won't break her favorite glass ornaments if we knock one off by mistake.

Siouxsie: Another important holiday safety tip for cat people is that you shouldn't use that silver plastic tinsel-icicle stuff. Tinsel really can be fatal to cats. Once we get tinsel in our mouths, we can't spit it out, and so we have to swallow it. Yuck! Because those strands are long, they can get stuck in our intestines and even cause our intestines to get all knotted up. This will make a cat very sick and could even cause its death.

Sinéad: If it doesn't get stuck inside, it's going to take a while to come out, and it could leave a cat in the embarrassing position of having half a strand of tinsel hanging out of its butt. That's pretty yucky, too!

Siouxsie: If you see your cat companion with tinsel or thread or some other non-degradable item hanging out of his or her anus, do not attempt to pull it out! You could pull your cat's intestines out, too. Take your kitty to the veterinarian right away and have him or her remove the object.

Sinéad: There's lots of other pretty stuff that you can use to substitute for tinsel. Mama has beautiful icicle garlands made of plastic beads. She says they're even prettier than tinsel, and a lot easier to clean up.

Siouxsie: And if you're an environmentally conscious human, you probably know that tinsel is not biodegradable, so when you return your tree to the earth (or to the recycling station), your tinsel is going to pollute the earth and may harm some wild animal in the same way that it could harm cats.

Sinéad: Holiday plants can also be an issue for cats. Some holiday favorites can be quite poisonous.

Siouxsie: The good news on this front is that the poinsettia, long thought to be deadly to cats, really is not. Eating a lot of poinsettia causes nausea and vomiting (in human children as well as cats), but it is not fatal.

Sinéad: But listen up, fellow cats--just because it won't kill you doesn't mean you should eat it. Besides, it probably tastes gross.

Siouxsie: Some holiday plants really are potentially fatal, though. Mistletoe and holly are very poisonous if ingested. So if you use either of these plants in your holiday decorations, keep them well out of reach of your cat companions and any children in your home.

Sinéad: The best way to keep cats from nibbling your holiday greenery--and your house plants--is to put a nice container of cat grass or two out for them. Although we cats are carnivores, we do need a little greenery to help keep our intestines in good shape. In the wild, or if we're outdoor cats, we usually get this by chewing on grasses. But indoor cats don't have this luxury. This is why a lot of indoor cats chew on house plants.

Siouxsie: You can find cat grass seeds at any pet store, although we recommend buying organic whenever possible. Also, avoid using fertilizers on your cat grass, especially any chemical ones. They can be toxic to cats.

JaneA: That's right. You really don't need to put Miracle-Gro on your cat grass. And if you use plant spikes, your cat could dig them up and ingest them. That would be a bad thing.

Sinéad: For a container, we recommend buying heavy, short, square planters so that we won't tip them over by accident if we get over-enthusiastic about our chewing. And they come in lots of nice colors that complement any décor.

Siouxsie: If you plant cat grass, make sure to keep it watered and keep an eye on it to see if it's time to buy and plant some more.

Sinéad: If you have any other tips on how to make the holidays safe and happy for cats, please let us know. We'd be glad to share them with our readers.

Siouxsie: In the meantime, we've thought of another great gift idea. This is a gift that cats can give to help other, less fortunate cats.

Sinéad: We just told Mama about it today, and she thinks it's a wonderful idea! Here's what you do...

Siouxsie: Talk to your human and ask him or her to buy some supplies for the cats in your local animal shelter, and donate them in your name. Animal shelters are always in need of canned and dry food, sanitizing wipes, detergents, cat toys, blankets, cat litter, and other things like that. It would be a wonderful way for us fortunate cats who have good, loving homes to help those in need.

Sinéad: Mama says don't forget to help the dogs. Shelter dogs deserve happy-holiday presents, too! Besides, we like dogs. All the dogs we've ever known have been very nice and wonderful, and Mama says she might get us a dog someday, when we live in a bigger place.

Siouxsie: If you get your human to make a donation to an animal shelter on your behalf, tell the staff person that Sinéad and Siouxsie sent you.

Sinéad: And if you want to extol the virtues of our wonderful advice column and tell them where to find it, it certainly wouldn't break our little kitty hearts!

JaneA: Okay ladies, that's enough schmoozing for now. Let's go have some dinner, shall we?

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.