Chanukah is a fun holiday for your family and friends to share. Lighting candles, frying latkes, using the food processor, knives, and other dangerous kitchen tools are all part of it as well as guests at your house who may not be cat friendly or savvy.

Unfortunately, it can be a dangerous holiday for your cat. Since nobody likes calling the vet for emergency situations, here's the list for you to check twice!

Cats are curious by nature. They want to share your life with you. If you are lighting candles, they want to help. The candles will burn for at least thirty minutes. Are you prepared to stand by and make sure that your cat does not go near them? Are you prepared if your cat does go near them, knocks them over, and starts a fire?

For many years, I lit the menorah in a bathroom and closed the door. That was silly. I was not going to spend thirty minutes watching the candles. For several years, I put the cats in a bedroom during candle lighting. A few years ago, I thought that this was ridiculous. I bought an electric menorah. The same prayers may be said when lighting it. It can still assume a special place during the holidays, but, it is so much safer.

The making of latkes means washing potatoes, peeling potatoes, cutting potatoes into pieces small enough to fit into food processor. Please be careful with sharp knives around you and your cats. When you put the potatoes in the processor and turn it on, your cat will be frightened. Make sure that when he runs away from the noise, there is nothing in his way that will be knocked to the ground. In the middle of latke making, you don't want to stop to pick up the pieces of anything broken. Okay, you now have your batter. It is time to put the oil in the frying pan. Again--think safety. Hot oil splatters. Hot oil burns. Keep your cat away. When latkes are done, they will be very hot. Time to keep him away again.

Dreidels are a great game for Chanukah. Please be careful with small dreidels and coins that you may use.

Chanukah gelt used to be money. It has become common to give chocolate candy with gold wrapping- it's coin shaped and looks a little like money. Chocolate is not good for cats. The wrappers could be deadly.

Gifts may be given for eight nights. Cats love to play with discarded wrapping paper. Beware of bows, string, and ribbons. More deadly stuff for cats as they can get strangled or eat it and strangle their intestines. There have also been incidents where cats were poisoned from wrapping paper treated with strychine.

Visitors - you gotta love them. Relatives or friends or people who just happened to drop in. They come in many versions.

1. The cat smart people. They bring gifts wrapped in wrapping paper with tape only, no bows, no fancies. They know that when the door opens, they must do the cat dance steps in and move quickly so that cat does not get out. They know to not sit on a cat. They know to put the toilet seat down in the bathroom. They know not to put bad things in the bathroom trash can where cat will play with them. They know not to open the oven door without looking around. They know not to let the cat into the microwave, oven, refrigerator, or dishwasher. They also know that cats on counters and tables means a friendly house. They know that they will go home wearing cat hairs and have dressed for the occasion

2. The non-cat people. They forgot that you had a cat or two or three or four. They are afraid of cats. They don't know what to say or do to them. They will leave the oven door open and toilet seat up without even thinking. These cannot be your friends. Maybe they will go home early, but don't count on it. Time to put cat in your bedroom for safety.

3. The people with allergies. Why did you invite them? Offer them antihistamines. If they accept, they may really have allergies. Are you sure that they are just not afraid of cats? Amazing, but usually putting the cats away makes them feel better. Do they not know that there is cat hair all over the couch, chairs, etc.?

Seriously, if we know that visitors are coming, we do several things.

1. Give cats their own special room that is safe and away from all the commotion. They have food, water, litter, scratching post, toys, a window seat and each other for companionship.

2. If your guests really want to see them, wait until the candles are out, the dinner is eaten, gifts are open and everything is safe for them.

3. Only open the door when you know that people are really leaving. Long good-byes at the door with a cat around is looking for trouble. Remember that your guests must do the cat dance out the door.

If you want to keep guests entertained, just talk about your cats all night. Show pictures. Show them the cats web page. They will be so entertained that they may never visit again. On the other hand, if they are really cool cat people, they will have photos of their babies that you can ooh and aah over too :-)

Be safe. Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!