Now I don’t know about you, but I get pretty stressed around this time of the year making sure everything is ready for Christmas.. Have I bought enough food? Where is everyone going to sleep? Have I remembered to buy a present for each member of my family?! As we rush about our lives in the lead up to Christmas and the New Year celebrations, it can be easy to forget that we are sharing our homes with our feline family who will be experiencing their own level of stress at all the strange goings-on!
Visitors bring new smells, new objects and a new level of noise to their once-quiet home. Suddenly the outside is brought inside with the addition of a large tree sat in the lounge that shimmers, jingles and twinkles! Young cats and kittens will see this as a giant cat toy and a giant scratch post – ready to be conquered, pounced upon and climbed up – leading to the potential for injuries! Older cats may see it as an unwelcome addition to their environment with regular furniture moved and a new scent to get used to. And how were they to know that the bucket holding the tree in place with garden soil wasn’t to be used as a litter tray?! It’s all so confusing…
Add to that the tinsel and angel hair that is just tantalizingly edible and can lead to life-threatening foreign bodies getting stuck in the gut.. Plus the chocolate, onions, garlic, raisins and grapes we love to indulge in at Christmas – and there you have yourselves a regular smorgasbord of cat toxicities. The beautiful poinsettias, Christmas lilies and various berries we adorn our homes with are all toxic in varying forms to our kitties too and those beautiful snow globes? They are often filled with something called ethylene glycol – or antifreeze – which is life-threatening to a cat if ingested.
So please be mindful this festive season. Make sure your feline friend’s litter tray, water and food is kept away from the madding crowds and they have somewhere to hide if needed… Keep decorations out of reach and adorn your tree sensibly… Keep that kitchen door closed when you’re cooking, and draw the curtains and put the radio on when those fireworks start up on NYE. Your pusscat will thank you for it, I am sure of that.
Should you need any advice on reducing stress in your feline friend over the Christmas period please don’t hesitate to call or email us here at the Cat Doctor.
Wishing you and your furbabies a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.