The
Holidays should be a happy time for your whole family, including your
furry ones. If you are welcoming friends and family into your home, this
might create a stressful situation for your cats. Advanced planning,
some extra attention, and a little assistance from guests will help keep
your cats calm during Holiday festivities.
Make
sure your cat has a sanctuary to get away from it all with access to
food, water, litter box, and familiar items (like toys, blankets, cat
trees). If these items are normally in an area that will be occupied by
guests, move them several days early and help your cat discover them in
their new location. Cats are creatures of habit, so they may not like to
find their favorite things suddenly in a new location. Give them a few
days to get acclimated.
Remind
guests that you have cats and ask for their help. Ask them to make sure
no kitties bolt out the door unexpectedly; mind children to make sure
they are treating the cats kindly or leaving them alone altogether if
desired; ask about guests’ allergies in advance so overly friendly cats
can be spared rejection; remind guests not to feed people food to your
cats, even if they beg for it.
If
a guest brings holiday plants or flowers, keep them away from your cat
until you can ensure they are not poisonous to cats. You can view of list of plants toxic to cats at the ASPCA’s website.
Most
importantly, give your cats extra love and attention. This will not
only help keep them calm, it will help keep them safe from the many
holiday hazards for cats: tinsel, ribbons, ornaments and hooks, candles,
candy, alcohol, and more. Things that make the Holidays merry and
bright often do not mix well with curious felines.
Wish you and your kitties a safe and happy holiday season!
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