A Safe Holiday
Keep your cat safe
The Holiday Season is a joyous time of the year with family and friends, parties, presents, and delicious foods. It can also be a very stressful and potentially dangerous time for your cat. Cats thrive on routine, calm surroundings, and the steady watchful eyes of the people that love them to make sure that their keen sense of curiosity does not get the better of them. That curiosity can spell disaster during this time of the year if you get so caught up in all the seasonal insanity that you forget all the potential dangers that could arise.
Cats and Chaos Don’t Mix
House guests are always welcomed during the holidays. Family, always willing to travel many miles to visit, and parties can be great fun, but may not be that fun for your cat. Advise visitors to never leave any medication within reach of your cat, whether it’s prescription or over-the-counter. Acetaminophen is especially toxic to cats and can cause anemia and potential liver damage.
All the extra people and noise in your home can cause over-excitement, stress, or confusion to your cat, not to mention accidents can occur. With all the commotion, festivities, and visitors coming in and out of your home, your cat could very well slip through an open door. Always make sure your cat has its proper identification tags, especially during the holidays.
A sea of legs and feet can be a scary sight to your cat. Celebrating guests may not be aware that your cat is in the room and he could get stepped on, causing bodily injury. It’s best to play it safe and keep your cat in a secure room with his food, water, litter box and some toys so he won’t get bored.
For your guests who have traveled from afar and are staying in your home, it’s wise to go over certain details about your cat, especially for those who are inexperienced in owning a pet.
Always look before you sit is the number one rule in my home, what with the cold winter weather some cats love nothing more than to snuggle underneath blankets and cushions on the couch.
Going over safety concerns with your guests ensures that your cat will make it through the holidays in one piece.
Feasting for You, Poison for your Cat
You cannot have festivities without feasts. Intoxicating aromas of turkey, baked ham, and roast beef coming from your kitchen can be very enticing to your cat and while a nibble here and there of cooked boneless meat is an acceptable treat, beware of overindulging your cat, especially with anything that is too fatty as it can result in diarrhea, vomiting, or a more serious condition called pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas.
Never give your cat any raw or undercooked meat or anything containing raw eggs which can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella. Always clear your table of plates with uneaten food as bones can pose a choking hazard or could potentially cause intestinal blockage.
Remember to put away all the ingredients used to prepare your holiday dinners. Garlic and onions ingested in large quantities can cause severe red blood cell damage to your cat. Certain herbs such as sage contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and even nervous system depression if consumed in large quantities. Raw bread dough if eaten can rise and expand in your cat’s warm stomach causing bloating, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain that could become life threatening and require emergency surgery.
Sweets and candy also pose a threat. Chocolate is not only poisonous to dogs but to cats as well, especially dark or baking chocolate. It contains a substance called theobromine and even an ounce of chocolate can cause gastrointestinal problems, tremors, seizures, and can be potentially fatal in smaller cats. Sugar fee candies and gums contain a sugar substitute called xylitol which can cause a rapid decrease in blood sugar levels and seizures.
So, with all the potential culinary culprits out there, it’s best to just play it safe and keep your cat on his regular diet.
Holiday Decorating Danger
We all love the bright lights, the candles, the flashy ornaments and the foliage that we adorn our homes with this time of year. Nothing grabs a cat’s attention more than sparkly dangling objects and leafy and pine scented plants. Some decorations are best avoided, or at least put in places where they are unreachable by your cat.
Problematic plants include holly, mistletoe, chrysanthemums, Jerusalem cherry, Christmas berry and amaryllis and should be kept out of reach from your cat not only during the holidays but all year around because of their toxicity (poinsettias have recently been found to produce benign effects). Lilies especially are the most toxic plant to have around. Not only are the flowers dangerous but the leaves are as well and ingestion of either can cause acute kidney failure in cats within 48 hours. Always do research before bringing any new plant into your home to rule out any harm it could cause to your cat.
Pine needles from a Christmas tree, whether real or artificial, are not digestible and an unsecured tree can topple over if your cat tries to climb it. Never leave your cat unattended with the tree, or invest in a tall baby gate to surround the tree to discourage climbing. Also, a cat’s sensitive nose does not tolerate the smell of citrus fruits, so placing lemon or orange peels around the tree or using a citrusy spray can be used to help deter your cat from the tree. Make sure the water in the tree stand does not contain any chemicals.
Forego the tinsel on the tree as it can obstruct the intestines and could lead to emergency surgery. Limit or exclude glass ornaments, or place them higher up the tree where your cat cannot reach them. Instead of using wire hooks to hang your ornaments, use yarn or string. Lights can get hot, so remove them from the lower branches of the tree to avoid burns or chewing on the wires. Firmly tape electrical cords to walls or the floor or run them through inexpensive foam pipe insulators that you can find at hardware stores.
Don’t forget to clean up after opening presents as ribbon and tape can be ingested.
So, let’s not forget our furry friends this holiday season. If we all take a few extra precautions and learn more about potential dangers that can lurk within our own homes, the holidays can become your cat’s favorite time of the year and he’ll get to enjoy that mousy and catnip in his stocking 