Holiday Cat Safety Tips for Owners

You love your kitty and want to make everyday safe and special for her. Perhaps you are looking for holiday cat safety tips so your feline baby can enjoy festivities as much as any other member of your family. The holiday seasons brings about significant changes in your regular routine – from eating habits to home decorations, everything undergoes a change. Decoration objects are going to pique your kitty’s interest and she may land herself in danger coming in touch with things she should otherwise stay away from. This can be dangerous for pets that rely on you for their safety.

Holiday Cat Safety Tips: Basic Pet Care During Holidays

Cats will be cats. These curious little creatures find shiny decorations, candles, Christmas trees, and food left on tables interesting. Their playful mind intrigues them to explore just about anything and everything that catches their attention. If you are not careful, your celebrations could turn catastrophic for your kitty, ending in a trip to the emergency room. Of course, you don’t want that.

Here are a few holiday cat safety tips for owners:

Christmas Tree: Holiday Cat Safety Tips 

Christmas is a time for celebrations. You love the grandeur, festivities, fervor and food the festival is associated with. Perhaps you love your Christmas tree. But here are a few holiday cat safety tips to remember during holidays that you want to follow:

• Tie up the tree firmly, so it doesn’t tip and fall on your pet, catching her unawares and causing some serious injury to your kitty.
• Prevent your kitty from the tree water. Remember, it may contain fertilizers, which could cause serious health issues for the cat if she comes in contact with the water.
• Keep your cat from any contact with stagnant tree water. You are already aware of the dangers of keeping stagnant tree water, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Any contact with it could result in your cat getting infected with nausea or diarrhea.

Festival Food: Pet Safety During Holidays

Preparation for special holiday foods begins early, for holiday time is enjoyment time. But the rich, fatty foods that you enjoy eating during the festivities may be a problem for your kitty, causing stomach problems for the pet. Pancreatitis is a common condition for pets that ingest fatty foods, which is associated with stomach pain, dehydration, and vomiting.

Many pets are attracted to alcohol, unknowing that it can cause serious intoxication to them. The sweet taste and aroma of drinks can attract cats.

When thinking of holiday cat safety tips, the following cat food-related tips may come in handy:

• Be careful with cocktail and place unattended drinks out of reach of your furry friends. Clean up all wine glasses after the party is over.
• Keep coffee, chocolate, fudge, candies, and tea out of the reach of cats. There are some dangerous components in chocolate that can cause nervous system problems for pets. There is a risk of urinary system damage, diarrhea, and seizuresfrom such substances.
• Avoid sharing uncooked meat, poultry, or fish with your kitty, as these may contain certain bacteria and parasites that risk causing disease in cats. Make sure meat is cooked thoroughly before it is served to your pets.
• Keep bones of fish or meat away from your feline friend, which may splinter and cause laceration in her intestinal tract.
• Announce it to your guests not to keep tobacco products, such as cigars, nicotine gums, ashtrays, tobacco, or cigarette, within the easy reach of your kitty. These products can be especially dangerous for felines, causing vomiting, poisoning, seizures, excessive salivation, and cardiac arrest.
• Make sure any other food or fruits, such as raisins and grapes, are not accessible to your feline baby for cat safety during holidays, as these may turn toxic for them, causing kidney damage.

That Holiday Glow: Holiday Safety Tips for Cats

Your furry feline has an exceptional sense of smell, and any leftovers are a big attraction for kitties. This could include juices on plastic or aluminum foil. If ingested, these choking hazards may cause intestinal obstruction and become a reason to visit the vet for medical emergency.

Lighted candles recreate the festivities and kindle hope. But are you aware of the dangers of keeping lighted candles unattended, especially if there is a pet at home? The sparkling candles may spark interest in your beloved feline, and she may end up burning herself if she tries to catch the burning candle. Who knows she may end up knocking candles over, resulting in the fire spreading to curtains.

When pet care during holidays is on top of your mind, it is a good idea to

• Use appropriate candle holders on a stable surface, so your kitty is not caught in an accident.
• Pull the candle out if there is nobody to attend to your cat in the same room.

Special Cat Treats for Cat Care During Holidays

While the holiday season is the time to enjoy for you, it should be no less enjoyable for your kitty either. The market is flooded with pet-friendly treats.

• Stick with indestructible chew toys to ensure a safe holiday for cats. You may want to choose chew treats that are safely digestible or stuffed toys, such as Kongs.
• Keep any long, stringy things away from the reach of your cat. Yarn and ribbon are such things that attract a kitty’s attention but these can chock and perforate the intestines.
• Gift a big ball, stuffed catnip toy, or an interactive cat dancer to your furry friend this holiday season to make festivities enjoyable for both your family and extended family of pets.