While you may want to have your pets take part in the family’s Thanksgiving feast, letting dogs and cats eat human food can be challenging. So, are holiday favorites like turkey safe for your cat or dog to eat?

Experts explained what to know before sharing your meal with your feline and canine companions. 

Can dogs and cats eat turkey?

It’s typically safe for pets to eat skinless and boneless turkey meat. 

“It’s a great source of protein to support muscle health and lean body condition. Just make sure to avoid the extra
stuffings, seasonings, skin and bones,” Dr. Danielle Bernal, a global veterinarian with Wellness Pet Company, told CBS News.

Rich foods like turkey skin, drippings and gravy can cause a lot of problems for your pets, veterinarian Dr. Ruth MacPete told CBS News Los Angeles ahead of last year’s holiday. 

“Our pets are not used to eating what we eat, and all of the rich fatty food can cause gastrointestinal problems, or worse yet, your pet can end up in the emergency room with a life-threatening pancreatitis. So you really want to avoid feeding them rich, fatty foods,” she said. 

Can dogs and cats eat cranberry sauce?

Cranberries, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, B1, B2 and C, are also safe.

“Just like they do for humans, cranberries can help urinary health and aid in preventing UTIs and bacterial growth in pets,” Bernal said. 

Can dogs and cats have green beans?

Plain green beans are typically safe, too, along with peas and some other seasonal vegetables. 

Butternut squash, for example, can support the immune system and hydration, Bernal said, “as long as they are not roasted with any oils.”

Can dogs and cats eat sweet potatoes?

Steamed sweet potatoes, which are rich in vitamins A, B6, C and calcium, can support your dog’s digestion with their fiber. They are also safe for cats in moderation. 

“Just remember not to give your pet sweet potatoes loaded up with added ingredients that us humans crave at Thanksgiving, such as butter, brown sugar, marshmallows or maple syrup,” Bernal said. 

Can dogs and cats have mashed potatoes?

Pets can eat mashed potatoes, but not ones with butter and cream like you’re likely to have prepared for your human guests.

“Any dish that is simple and unseasoned is a great option,” Bernal said. 

More common Thanksgiving food cats and dogs can eat

There are a few more Thanksgiving foods our furry family members can take part in, including: 

• Canned 100% pumpkin puree 

“Pumpkin is known to promote healthy digestion, which aids in the overall energy and vitality of your pet,” Bernal said.

• Unsweetened applesauce
• Plain yogurt
• Raw fruits
• Raw veggies

“Raw carrots are a great, low-calorie snack that protects against cataracts and heart disease. Apples provide an excellent
source of pectin, which supports the digestive system,” she said. 

Common Thanksgiving food that’s not safe to feed cats or dogs

What’s good for humans, in many cases, are not good options for our pets.

Bernal says to avoid feeding our four-legged friends grapes, raisins, onion and garlic. More foods that aren’t safe include: 

• Alcoholic beverages
• Sweets (such as pies and cookies)
• Chocolates and candies
• Uncooked yeast dough
• Fatty foods
• Prepared foods (such as casseroles, creamed peas, etc.)
• Ham
• Stuffing

MacPete also advises telling your guests not to share what’s on their plate, either. 

“I know it’s tempting, and it is the season of giving, but the problem is, sharing your food with your pets can cause a number of different health problems for your animals,” she said. 

West Palm Beach, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump declared a win on stopping illegal immigration through Mexico on Wednesday after talking with that country’s leader. But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested Mexico was already doing its part and had no interest in closing its borders.

The two spoke just days after Trump threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs — a threat that drew a prompt and terse response from Sheinbaum, who said any U.S. tariffs would be met with reciprocal measures from her government — stressing: “There is no subordination here.”

Trump said in his social media posts that Sheinbaum had “agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border.”

Sheinbaum indicated on social media, however, that she’d “explained” to Trump that Mexico is already “taking care of” migrant caravans, calling it an “excellent conversation,” but indicating no major changes in her government’s policies.

“I explained to him the comprehensive strategy that Mexico has followed to address the migration phenomenon, respecting human rights. Thanks to this, migrants and caravans are assisted before they reach the border,” the Mexican leader wrote. “We reiterate that Mexico’s position is not to close borders but to build bridges between governments and between peoples.”

Trump’s social media posts about the borders — describing what he called “a wonderful conversation with Sheinbaum and suggesting Mexico had made concessions in the wake of his tariff threat — did move financial markets.

Even if the proposed tariffs fail to materialize, Trump may argue to his supporters that the mere possibility of them is an effective policy tool, and continue to rely on tariff threats.

But the only new policy clearly referenced by either leader in their social media posts Wednesday was a vow by Trump to launch a new national ad campaign warning against the dangers of fentanyl use.

Sheinbaum had said in her message that she and Trump, “also talked about reinforcing cooperation on security issues, within the framework of our sovereignty, and the campaign we are carrying out to prevent fentanyl consumption.”

In his third, rapid-fire post on his own Truth Social platform about their conversation, the president-elect said he would be “working on a large scale United States Advertising Campaign, explaining how bad Fentanyl is for people to use — Millions of lives being so needlessly destroyed. By the time the Campaign is over, everyone will know how really bad the horror of this Drug is.”

Illegal migration across the Mexico border is down in part because the Biden administration secured some stepped-up cooperation from Mexico — the sort Trump seems to be celebrating.

Arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped 40% from an all-time high last December. U.S. officials mostly credit Mexican vigilance around rail yards and highway checkpoints.

Driven by mounting pressure from the U.S. to block migrants going north, in the past few years Mexican authorities have turned to sending them to southern Mexico, in a strategy seen by experts as an attempt to wear migrants out until they give up.

Neither side clarified any firm plans to impose new tariffs in their social media messages on Wednesdday. But their implementation could fuel higher prices for American consumers and slow economic growth, potentially blowing up the trade agreement among the U.S., Canada and Mexico that was finalized in 2020 during Trump’s previous time in the White House.

Trump on Monday said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders upon taking office on Jan. 20. He also proposed an additional 10% tariff on China tied to its exporting of materials used in the production of fentanyl.

Through September, the United States has imported $378.9 billion in goods from Mexico, $322.2 billion from China and $309.3 billion from Canada.