Christmas is the busiest time of the year for everyone. There's so much to do, especially if you're planning on having family and loved ones over this year. As a loving pet parent, you will want to include your dog or cat in your celebrations! As a member of your family, your pet is part of the celebration.
When decorating your home for Christmas, keep in mind your cats' safety.
It is hard to keep the baubles and lights from becoming the kittens' playthings for their immense curiosity. Decorating Dos and Don'ts.
- If your cat is a climber, anchor your tree to the ceiling or adjacent wall for stability.Breakable items can shatter and cut your pet, so choose non-breakable items like plastic, wood, and other sturdy ornaments.
- Prevent an accidental poisoning emergency by keeping all toxic foods, such as chocolate and desserts containing xylitol, and plants, such as lilies (highly toxic), holly, and mistletoe, away from your pet.
- Chewing a strand of Christmas lights puts your pet at risk of electrocution or severe burns. Prevent this by spraying any lights within your cat's reach with a deterrent. You may also want to consider buying a tree with fiber optic lights.
- Avoid decorations such as spun glass angel hair, which can irritate your cat's eyes, and artificial snow, which has irritating fumes.
- One of the worst offenders in holiday pet emergencies is tinsel. Tinsel, along with bows, is easily ingested and can cause a serious obstruction of the digestive system, often requiring surgery.
- Be careful with popular holiday plants; they can be a deadly distraction for your bored cat. Mistletoe berries, lilies, English ivy, holly leaves and berries, Christmas roses, daffodils, amaryllis bulbs and croton can cause irritation or even death.
how to Spoil your kittens with gifts?
As their parent, you know your dog or cat best - think about what makes them happiest and how you can make it happen this Christmas. The best part? You don't even have to spend a dime: what your dog or cat wants most is more quality time with you! Creating a cat-friendly holiday is just a matter of planning and a little creativity.
- Christmas Cat Tree: Even if your cat can't climb the family Christmas tree, you can find a tree just for them (without lights). The CatHaven Cat Tree provides all the fun foliage your cat loves to climb, or this Christmas Tree Cat House for curling up for a cat nap!
- Christmas Personalized Stocking：Just in time for Santa, pick a pet stocking that is perfect for filling with catnip, catnip mice, treats, and grooming supplies for kitty.
- New Holiday Themed Toys: Nothing says Christmas like gifts! Treat your special friend who has been good all year with a Santa Hat Crinkle Bag or these Time for Joy holiday plush toys.
Can we feed cats human food?
Cats are guilty of trying to eat the same foods as people, especially roast turkey and gravy or ham. The smells are so tempting that they can't help but nibble. Unfortunately, human food is not okay for pets, and Christmas is another holiday where pets may try to nibble on chocolate, much like Halloween and Easter.
Offer your kitty some turkey or chicken flavored wet food that's vet-approved instead of allowing her to eat human food (the cans of wet food that come in usually contain gravy, so that's a bonus!) Feed your kitty away from where you'll be eating Christmas dinner. If you have children or expect children to visit, it's a good idea to take them aside and show them exactly what they can and can't give the kittens in terms of treats and food.
Keep in mind that your dog or cat’s caloric needs are much lower than yours, so don’t overindulge them, and get your vet’s blessing first if your pet is on any medication or has a preexisting condition.
