With Christmas only a few days away, and the festive feasting having firmly already begun for a lot of households, we need to keep an eye on those food vacuums.
And by food vacuums, we of course mean our four-legged friends.
We all know that a lot of food tends to get thrown away over the Christmas period, and because of this, you may be tempted to treat your pets to some of the leftovers – but did you know that some common festive foods can actually make our pets seriously ill?
This means it’s so important to know which ones should be avoided.
Animal health specialists at OurFitPets have put together a list of common Christmas foods that can cause serious health problems for cats and dogs, as well as given some advice on what you should do if your furry friend accidentally eats any of these foods.
Some of the warning signs that your pet has poisoning from the various foods on list list to look out for include vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, changes in urination frequency and habits, changes in appetite, and much more.
Here’s 10 festive foods that are toxic to pets.
Did you know that some common festive foods can actually make our pets seriously ill? / Credit: Rumman Amin (via Unsplash)
Christmas pudding and mince pies
These common Christmas treats are filled with dried fruits, such as raisins, sultanas and currents, all of which are particularly toxic for cats and dogs.
They can cause kidney failure if consumed.
Sage and onion stuffing and onion gravy
Any foods that contain vegetables of the allium variety should be off the menu for cats or dogs.
This includes fresh and powered forms of aromatics, such as onions, garlic, shallots, leeks and chives, which are frequently found in Christmas stuffing and gravy, as these vegetables all contain a compound called N-propyl disulfide – which is damaging to your pet’s red blood cells, and can cause them to develop anaemia.
Chocolate
This is one we’re all pretty familiar with, right?
Chocolate can be particularly toxic for cats and dogs as it contains a compound called theobromine, which animals can’t metabolise easily.
Dark chocolate and baking chocolate being the worst offenders, as they contain the highest levels of theobromine, while white chocolate is the least harmful as it contains only a small amount of the compound – although it’s obviously not recommended that you feed them any type of chocolate.
Consumption can cause overstimulation of pets’ muscles, including their heart.
Macadamia nuts
While it’s not fully understood why Macadamia nuts are unsafe for pets, we do know that consuming them can cause your cat or dog to appear weak or sleepy, and can cause painful or stiff joints that may make it difficult for them to walk.
This variety of nut can also induce vomiting, tremors, and raised body temperature for up to two days.
Blue cheese such as Roquefort contain a compound called roquefortine C, which is known to cause muscle tremors and seizures in cats and dogs for up to two days.
Like blue cheese, dairy that has gone past its use-by date, or different bread products that contain fungi can become mouldy and produce mycotoxins that give similar negative effects for cats and dogs when ingested.
Alcohol
Animals are more sensitive to the ethanol present in alcohol than humans are.
Consumption of alcohol will cause your pet to become drowsy and unstable on their feet, and, at worst, can cause a drop in body temperature and blood sugar – which can lead to seizures or a coma.
Turkey bones and fat
While not necessarily toxic to cats and dogs, turkey bones can be brittle which means there is a high chance of them splintering and lodging in your pet’s throat or stomach.
Turkey fat – and fatty foods in general – shouldn’t be given to pets in large quantities either as they can cause stomach discomfort and diarrhoea.
What should I do if my pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have?
Even if your pet has only eaten a small amount of these foods, it’s important to do the following:
Call the vet straight away – Don’t wait for your pet to start showing symptoms. A vet will be able to offer advice, and the quicker you act, the better chance your pet will have of recovery.
Note the time and quantity of food ingested – Provide the vet with as much information as you can. This includes the time your pet ate the unsafe food, brand names, the ingredient list and how much you think they consumed.
Don’t try to make your pet sick – Attempting this can cause further health complications. Leave this to your vet, as they are trained to do this in a safe manner.
A few tips pet owners should keep in mind this festive season is making sure chocolate is kept out of reach, including removing Christmas tree chocolates and avoiding putting wrapped selection boxes under the tree, and considering putting pets in another room while you eat your Christmas dinner so they can’t eat food that drops on the floor.
It’s also a good idea check the list of ingredients in any food before feeding to your pet, as many products will contain onion or garlic powder as flavouring – which is just as harmful for your pet as the real thing.
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Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
Emily Sergeant -
19th December 2024 
