Christmas is approaching and most people are getting busy with festive preparations and anticipate a great family time together. However, it’s also important to think about your fluffy friend during a holiday season and take some precautions to avoid any emergencies. Most cats are likely to climb a Christmas tree or play with dangerous candles and garlands. Here is the list of useful safety tips on how to avoid potential holiday hazards and ensure that your cat will be safe this Christmas.
1. Christmas tree
I have a calm mature cat, so he never tries to eat the needles, climb the tree or play with the lights. However, bear in mind that Christmas tree needles can injure a cat’s paws, even though they aren’t poisonous. Your cat will definitely pay his attention to the sparkling and trim Christmas tree. Most probably your cat will try to climb the tree or choose it as a perfect cover. While setting the tree, make sure it’s stable enough. Use a fish line to attach the tree to the ceiling, wall, window or the furniture. Don’t leave your pet unattended in the room so that he won’t break the glass baubles, eat them or get injured. Finally, you should prevent your cat from removing or chewing the tree lights.
2. Candles and fire
Lovely and inspiring, candles are absolutely alluring for your cat. However, candles are quite dangerous for your pet and family members as well. Candles are a great option to light up your house and set a festive atmosphere, but people often leave lighted candles in places where their cats can easily reach them. You’d better place candles in inaccessible places or not use them at all if your cat feels uneasy about them. Consider using flameless candles that are absolutely safe for your kids and pets. Since all cats love to rest near a warm place, they may get injured when move too close to the fire. Fireguard is another useful item if you have a fireplace.
3. Gifts and wrappings
Cats are just in love with those curled bright ribbons, wrapping paper and huge bows on the boxes with gifts! If you have already put your Christmas presents under the tree, keep your eyes open so that your little friend won’t start unwrapping the gifts! Your cat can’t tell the difference between a new plaything and a glossy Christmas present, so try to keep your pet away from the presents. Wrapping materials are highly dangerous when eaten; they can damage your cat’s intestine and disrupt digestion. Don’t let your cat approach the Christmas tree if you want to avoid visiting a vet on a Christmas night.
4. Poisonous plants
When trying to make your house more festive and elegant, you prepare a lot of hazards for your cat. Beautiful yet toxic plants such as Poinsettia, the traditional Christmas plant with bright red flowers and green foliage, are greatly dangerous for your pet since even one bite can be fatal for the animal. If you have any toxic plants at home, you should place them in inaccessible forbidden places like closet, bathroom or kitchen. You should also keep your kitten away from plants such as ivy, yew, holly and mistletoe since most pets try to taste them while playing. The leaves of these plants contains highly poisonous agents, so you have to go to the vet as soon as possible if your cat managed to swallow a small bit of it. To guard your little friend against eating the leaves, consider having faux Christmas plants.
More: 10 Plants to Keep Away from Pets
5. Food
While most pet owners tend to treat their little friends to delicious holiday meals, you’d better avoid doing it. Your pet’s diet shouldn’t depend on the holidays and it’s better if your cat sticks to his usual diet even during a holiday season. Every now and then it’s okay to treat your cat to a little piece of baked turkey, but try to avoid giving your pet sausages or cookies. Unusual food can disrupt your pet’s digestion, upset the stomach and cause a lot of problems to you and your guests. It’s also important to keep the kitchen door closed so that your cat cannot investigate what’s left on the table. Even if your cat isn’t used to jumping up on the kitchen table, you’d better not leave any food on it.
6. A new cat is not for Christmas
If you decide to have a cat, Christmas time is definitely not the best period to do it. During a festive season you’ll be busy with preparations, meal, decorations and parties, so you won’t have enough time to pay enough attention to your little kitten. Moreover, the hustle and bustle over your house can cause a great stress and alarm to your new friend. Everything in a house may represent a hazard for the newcomer. Since the kitten is unfamiliar with a new house and family members, he can run away or get lost in the house, or reach some dangerous household chemicals and plants. You should think twice before having a kitten if you already have other pets. It’s also a bad idea to give somebody a kitten as a Christmas present.
7. Christmas celebration
You should learn your cat’s disposition in order to predict his behavior during the celebration. Most pets behave fine regardless of the noise and bustle over the house, but some cats feel very uneasy about lots of adults, children and loud music. If it’s your cat’s first celebration, he may behave rather unpredictable. Some cats like being the center of attention, while others are scared and alarmed. Let your cat rest while you’re having fun. Leave him in a quiet room with delicious meal, playthings, comfortable bed and enjoy spending time with your guests all night long.
More: 9 Christmas Gift Ideas for Cats
The holiday season is a stressful time for your family as well as for your pets. The meal, decorations and activities that we love so much during a Christmas time may be highly dangerous for your cat. It’s difficult to guard your little friend against all the potential hazards, but with the above-mentioned tips you know how to make this holiday season safer for your cat.