The holiday season is exciting for us and our pets. It is also a time to be extra careful with kitty. We want the holiday season to be fun – and safe – for all.
Watch the Door
More people coming and going means more opportunities for kitty to slip outdoors, especially if your cat is a door dasher. Be aware.
Cats are not Christmas Presents
If you want to add a cat or kitten to your family, that’s great, but we suggest adopting either ahead of the holidays or afterwards. There is so much going on it will be hard to properly concentrate on acclimatizing your new pet and the extra level of energy will stress the new arrival. You can always buy a stuffed kitty toy and present that as a gift, or create an IOU card. The receiver can then enjoy choosing their own special kitty.
The Christmas Tree
Be prepared for kitty to want to scale the tree and/or play with your tree ornaments. They might even want to open presents for you ahead of time! If you have a real tree, don’t let them drink the water at the base of the tree as it likely will contain chemicals from the tree itself. If necesssary, cover the water trough with something so the cat cannot get at the water. Fir trees have oils that can cause stomach upset and pine trees have sharp needles that you don’t want your cat to eat. For more safety tips, read this article from Catster.
Holiday Plants
Poinsettias, orchids and Christmas Cacti are relatively okay (can still cause some discomfort) but mistletoe, holly, azaleas, lilies and amaryllis are toxic. It is best to keep houseplants out of the reach of your cat, just in case. Some cats never bother with plants; others cannot resist.
Food & Drink
No alcohol for cats! One teaspoon can trigger alcohol toxicity in cats. It is best to keep your cat to its routine food to avoid stomach upset. Watch enticing items like the string from the turkey as you don’t want your cat to swallow the string, which could lead to abdominal obstruction.