Christmas Safety Tips for Cats

Do you have cats in your home? While Christmas is an exciting holiday, you also need to be aware of the potential dangers it poses to your cat. Please consider these Christmas tips for cat safety this holiday season.

Plants Poisonous to Cats: One danger the holidays pose to your cat is poisonous plants. Thus, knowing and keeping your cat away from poisonous plants is one of the Christmas safety tips for cats you should consider this year. Some poisonous plants to cats include: aloe vera, amaryllis, autumn crocus, baby's breath, bittersweet, branching ivy, calla lily, Chinese evergreen, chrysanthemum, devil's ivy, English ivy, evergreen, ferns, German ivy, holly, horse chestnuts, lily, mistletoe, needlepoint ivy, poinsettia, rhubarb, star of Bethlehem, and wisteria. Please recognize by no means is this a complete list of poisonous plants for cats. You may see a more complete list by visiting the Cat Fanciers' Association website.

Foods Poisonous to Cats: Keeping poisonous foods away from cats is another way to keep your pet safe this Christmas. While there are many delicious foods to enjoy during the holidays and while your cat may beg for them relentlessly, there are many types of food cats should never have. Poisonous foods for cats include, but are not limited to: alcohol, cherries, almonds, macadamia nuts, chocolate, onions, raisins, and potatoes. Additionally, it is never a good idea to feed bones to cats as they could become lodged in the cat's throat. Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of poisonous foods for cats. To find out what other foods are poisonous to cats, please visit Cat World.

Boarding: If you are traveling during the holidays, you also need to make sure your pet is safe while you are away. Another one of the Christmas safety tips you need to consider is where you will keep your cat while you travel. You may board your cat at a vet's office or a boarding cattery. However, you should check out the cattery before you board your pet there in order to make sure it is a safe and healthy environment for your cat. All good catteries will also require you to have your cat's vaccinations updated in order to protect both your pet and the other cats being boarded.

If you choose to leave your cat at home while you travel, it is a good idea to hire a pet sitter to come feed, water, play with, and change your cat's litter while you are gone. The pet sitter should be licensed and bonded. You may also want to check out his or her references before you agree to hire him or her to watch your feline.

Gatherings: Another Christmas safety tip for cats is to be mindful of them during family gatherings. Some cats like being social while others get anxious or scared around visitors. Being mindful of your cat during family gatherings will help him or her feel safer. It may be a good idea to keep your cat in a separate room with the door shut while you have guests over at your home. This way, your feline will have a place where he or she feels safe and you won't have to worry about him or her darting out the door every time someone goes in or out of your home. Additionally, you won't have to worry about well-meaning guests feeding your cat something he or she shouldn't be eating.

Toys: Yet another one of the tips for Christmas safety is being mindful of the toys you purchase for your kitty. If you purchase your cat toys as Christmas presents, you should purchase toys that do not contain any small parts that might fall off or be removed by your feline. Your feline could swallow small parts, which may lead to choking or intestinal blockage. Additionally, any toy you get for your cat should be made of non-toxic substances.

Keep the Cat Out of and Off the Christmas Tree: Christmas trees pose another threat to cats. One of the Christmas tips you need to be mindful of is keeping your cat out of the tree. If your cat crawls up into the Christmas tree, he or she may get stuck. Alternatively, the tree may fall and severely injure your cat while he or she is in it. If at all possible, deter your cat from going into the Christmas tree. We used to fill the space under the tree with gifts so that our cat could not climb into the tree. If you see your cat trying to climb up the tree, try spraying him or her with water. If this is unsuccessful from keeping your cat away from the tree, you may want to consider putting the tree into a room where you can close the door to keep your cat away from the tree while you are not home. Keeping the tree away from furniture or shelves is also helpful because it will prevent your cat from using these things in order to jump onto the tree.

Real Versus Artificial Trees: In addition, real trees are poisonous to cats, so it is better to buy an artificial Christmas tree. If you really want a real Christmas tree, however, try using these Christmas safety tips to help keep your kitty safe. Ensure there is plenty of drink water for your tree because it'll help your tree from drying out and losing its needles. If a cat swallows the needles, there is a potential for them to puncture your kitty's internal organs. It is also important to make sure your cat cannot get to the tree's water as it may be poisonous to your feline.

Snow Spray: Snow spray is that stuff you may put on windows and trees to make them look winter-like and pretty. While this stuff may look good, it is poisonous to your cat. Thus, if you really want to use it, use it sparingly and use it in places that are difficult for your kitty to get to.

Christmas Decorations: Another holiday hazard for cats is Christmas decorations. Thus, another one of the tips for Christmas safety is to keep Christmas ornaments and tinsel out of the reach of your feline. It is best not to use tinsel at all on your tree. Your cat will inevitably be fascinated by the shiny strands and may try to eat it. Swallowing tinsel can lead to intestinal blockages.

In addition, you may want to consider leaving ornaments off the bottom of your tree, in the easy reach of your cat. If glass ornaments are knocked onto the floor by your cat, he or she may injure himself or herself on the glass. Alternately, he or she may chew on or swallow the hook of the ornament, which may lead to blockages, the puncture of internal organs, or damage to the inside of your cat's mouth.

Candles: Candles pose another danger to cats; therefore, another Christmas safety tip is to burn candles responsibly. Flames often fascinate cats. Thus, they may burn their ears, paws, face, body, or tail if they get too close to check out the candle. A feline also may knock a candle over, which could lead to disaster. If you do burn candles during the holidays, make sure you do it in a place that is out of the reach of your feline.

Christmas is a festive time of year, but it's important to remember the dangers it poses to your cat so that you can keep him or her safe during the holiday season. I hope you and your feline enjoy the holiday season.

Sources:

Cat Fanciers' Association: Plants and Your Cat:

http://www.cfainc.org/articles/plants.html

Cat World: Human Foods Which Are Poisonous to Cats:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/human-foods-which-are-poisonous-to-cats

Cat World: Keeping Your Cat Safe During the Festive Season:

http://www.cat-world.com.au/keeping-your-cat-safe-during-the-festive-season

Our Happy Cat: Cat Christmas Dangers - How to Keep Your Pet Safe:

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-christmas.html