As you get ready and excited for the holiday season, whether putting up decorations, preparing to host guests, or prepping for the big feast, what will your cat be doing during these holidays? With a bright and colourful Christmas tree in your living room, lights embellishing your windows, and the delectable smell of good food taking over your home for the holiday season, it is important to make sure your cat doesn’t get overwhelmed by all the excitement. We all know how much our cats love their routines, and any breakaways can make them anxious. This article shares some insights on how to manage our beloved pets during this time.
A place to escape to for your cat
Cats who have the option to escape to the outdoors are less susceptible to the chaos of the indoor environment. If your cat prefers to stay indoors, consider creating a hidden getaway they can readily retreat to. The getaway could be anywhere away from the “crowd”, such as a bedroom, a storage room or even a closet. Keeping a box of treats, water and other comfort accessories in this hideaway is the most effective way to draw them. You can include blankets, their favourite toys, scratching opportunities and, of course, a litter box. Easy access to and from the hideaway is important. If you are visiting other people’s homes or travelling for the holiday season, then arranging a cat sitter is the best option to avoid causing any disruption or disturbance to your cat. If you are going for a long period, then a cat boarding facility might be an even better solution.
Candles and fairy lights
An important lookout during the holiday and Christmas season is to make sure your cat doesn’t ingest something hazardous. Decoration items such as spray-on snow, gift wraps, mistletoe, Christmas tree preservatives and other similar items can be hazardous to your cat upon ingestion and should be kept out of reach as much as possible.
Christmas candles can pose significant fire hazards, so using LED candles is a good way to prevent your cat from having an accident with them. If you do have candles around, never leave your cat unattended with them. Holiday pet accidents are a real thing, and taking precautions is the best way to avoid incidents during the holidays. Furthermore, make sure fairy light wires are out of reach of your cat, who would undoubtedly love playing with stringy things.
Making your Christmas tree safe for your cat to be around
-
Once your cat discovers the tall Christmas tree in the house, he or she is most likely to want to conquer it by engaging in his or her favourite activity—climbing. Cats are expert climbers and balancers, and it is one of their favourite pastimes. Of course, climbing a Christmas tree can be dangerous for your cat and everyone around the tree. Besides the potential of breaking the tree or any of the decor, the fall can hurt or injure your cat, which is the biggest worry. You must be careful with the items around the Christmas tree, including gift box ribbons, fallen baubles and pine needles. Below are some things to consider when setting up the Christmas tree:
- Avoid accidents by ensuring the tree is secured in place and is stable. To achieve this, you will need a quality stand with cat-proof fastenings. Childproof accessories also work just fine for this. Additional support can be achieved by fastening the tree to the wall with a string.
- The decorating items should be made of non-hazardous materials as much as possible. Hard plastic, straw or wood are better options. Glass baubles may be a must-have for most Christmas tree setups, but they can be dangerous if broken or slipped out of hands during the decoration process. Ensure they are out of your cat’s reach as much as possible. Not only can glass particles injure your cat, but they can be worse if your cat swallows them. This means an emergency trip to the vet—finding an appointment during the festive season can be challenging. Another thing you must avoid using is tinsel—a definite no-go. It can be detrimental to a cat’s safety!
- As mentioned earlier in this article, any fairy light, especially the ones strewn around the Christmas tree, needs to be out of reach of your cat. You must also make sure the strings are securely attached to your tree with no loose ends hanging down for your cat to go on a misadventure! Again, LED lights would be the best option. Cordless ones would be even better and safer.
- What if your cat wants a drink out of the water in your Christmas tree stand? Because the water may be easily accessible, make sure you cover it securely to prevent your cat from drinking it.
- Keep a watch on anything that may fall out of the tree. Look out for any pine needles that might have fallen from the tree to prevent your cat from swallowing them.
- If your cat enjoys playing with the gift-wrapping ribbon, keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t get tangled or choke on the ribbon. If an incident does happen, you must not delay and call out for emergency vet service. If your cat swallows a string, don’t pull it out, even if you can see. Pulling on any trapped ends may cause internal damage.
For more advice on cats, feel free to contact us to book an appointment.
