Posted on: December 9th, 2014 by Dr. Dale Rubenstein

We all love our pets, and celebrate big occasions with them in many different ways. So we thought for this holiday season, we would provide you a little peak at how our staff at A Cat Clinic celebrates the holidays with their pets. Like the song “12 Days of Christmas”, we’re giving you our 12 thoughts on spending this special season with our beloved friends. Cats, dogs, rabbits and horses–everyone loves a reason for extra treats!

We’ve divided it into 2 parts so we can fit in more photos. Here’s our countdown to Christmas!

12. From Dr. Mustillo (those are her cats Eli, Tater Tot and JoJo pictured above): Every year I decorate for the holidays but have to keep my fragile decorations up high and safe from my young cats. When I decorate my Christmas tree, I use plastic ornaments and don’t put any at the bottom of the tree. Last year my youngest cat was only 3 months old and he destroyed our tree! All four cats (and the dog) have their own stockings and they all get their own presents to open Christmas morning.

11. From Charlotte (who spends most of her “spare” time pet-sitting): I barely see my pets because I’m watching everyone else’s… but I do promise them a full day of my being home when it’s over, or at least 2 half days 🙂

10. From Vicki: This year, my fiancé and I bought ugly holiday sweaters for ourselves and Juno (pictured at left), and then took family portraits to send out to relatives for Christmas cards.

9. From Akina: For the holidays, I always give my cats turkey for Thanksgiving! I also buy them new toys and treats. (Note: please limit turkey to a couple of pieces, no skin/bones or seasonings and watch for tummy upset…, especially if your cat is sensitive.)

8. From Ann (Ann spoils our boarders, and I will walk in, the office door is closed and I see a litter box, water etc – and know that she has taken one out for some visiting. Her 2 big dogs at home would not accept a cat, so she has to get her cat “fix” at the clinic – which she does!): Mum would always cook the giblets, etc, from the turkey for our cat. On Xmas Eve she’d cook it, wrap it in foil and put it under the tree with the presents. The cat would push every present out of the way so that there would be a ring of presents, an 8” circle of carpet and then her gift sitting in the middle. (Note: leaving cooked meat out overnight isn’t a good idea, and the cat chewing on aluminum foil can be dangerous. But, this was in York, England more than 20 years ago, and the visual was amusing. So while we can’t recommend this in today’s world, we wanted to share her story!)

7. From Katie: My dog, Diesel (pictured at right) helps us deliver presents to each other. He picks up the package and brings it to whoever it is for. We say “Diesel, go get Katie,” or whoever’s present it is. He usually goes to the right person. He gets a new squeaky duck toy and homemade peanut butter treats for the holidays.

Stay tuned for Part II next week!