Christmas With Your Cat

Christmas time is the time of year where we lavishly decorate our homes with twinkling lights and coloured decorations. Our centrepiece is a wonderful scented fir tree, which we cover with spangle balls and tempting chocolates. All these things help to make our homes feel cosy and warm and traditionally seasonal. Unfortunately we are not the only ones attracted by the tinsel and the light, our cats with their highly inquisitiveness are also going to take particular interest in all our Christmas excess and sparkle. But lurking within those Christmas celebrations are hidden dangers for our furry friends.

So with our pet cats in mind, we should decorate our homes this Christmas with care and put in place precautions to keep them safe. Things to consider are:

Holly, Mistletoe and Poinsettias - these are all plants that we traditionally like to bring into our homes during the Christmas period. Unfortunately all these plants are toxic to cats and if eaten can cause serious illness. So always ensure that these plants are not accessible to your cats, place them on high shelves or drape them over centre light fittings. But if you have a cat that is very agile and inquisitive it may be safest not to bring these plants into the house.

Christmas trees - It is practically impossible to stop your cat from exploring this new and interesting item. The only thing you can do is to make sure that it as safe as absolutely possible and that the cat is not allowed access to it alone. A few measures to take are:

Have a tree that does not shed its needles too quickly if at all. Some fir trees don't shed, while others have particularly spike needles that are perfect for getting in soft paws and worse still being eaten.

Make sure the tree is firmly secured and will not tip over.

Place breakable decorations further up the tree and not in the lower branches where they become new play things for your cat.

Spray some strong smelling liquid onto the and around the base of the tree. Diluted Lemon juice is good and will help to deter kitty coming too close.

Tinsel and other Christmas decorations - Always place decorations especially tinsel out of the cats reach. It is just too tempting for your cat and if swallowed cat cause blockages.

Artificial snow - this is toxic to cats, so should be avoided if possible. If you must have it, make sure your cat is not left alone in a room with it, especially at nighttime.

Another danger to look out for during the Christmas period is visitors or family members giving chocolates to your cat. They may think they are giving them a treat but actually they are poisoning them. Chocolate contains methylxanthines and theobromines, which are very toxic for both cats and dogs; it over stimulates their nervous system and cardiovascular system. Always keep chocolates covered up and out of reach of your pets, also let guests know about the dangers.

Symptoms of eating chocolate are vomiting, hyperactivity, diarrhoea, agitation and frequent urination. If you suspect that your cat has eaten some chocolate and is showing some signs of illness they should be taken to the vets immediately. In the worse case scenario, death can occur and all from eating a few charismas chocolates. So extra special care should be taken to keep such goodies away from our pets.

Amongst al the celebrates and visitors it is easy for your cat to begin to feel a little neglected and even scared, especially if there is a lot of noise and unexpected people in the house. Always try to find some time during all the Christmas day mayhem to pay them some attention. It is also a good idea to put aside a separate room for your cat to retreat to if you are expecting a lot of guests. Place in the room somewhere warm for them to sleep, a few of their favourite toys and make sure they have a clean litter tray and some water available. So if your cat decided that it is all too much for them they can be placed in this room and be kept safe and comfortable until things return to normal.

We might like Christmas and all it's fuss and glitter, but your cat may not feel the same way especially if we don't pay particular attention to their needs during this time.

More cat health and cat care tips can be found at our site http://www.our-happy-cat.com A feline friendly community full of helpful advice and fun things to do to make sure you have a happy cat and a happy you.

Copyright 2007 Kate Tilmouth

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