Happy Holidays! Seasonal festivities are ramping up into full gear. Your feline pal will no doubt pay close attention as you prepare for holiday events and activities. Your thoughtful pet may even try to offer a helping paw as you wrap gifts, put up the tree, and decorate. Actually, Fluffy can get into quite a bit of mischief at this time of year. Read on as an Eau Claire, WI vet offers advice on keeping kitties happy, healthy, and safe over the holidays.
Presents
Don’t forget to fill your kitty’s stocking! You can’t go wrong with classic toys, like catnip mice. However, Fluffy will also appreciate something more modern, like a remote-controlled mouse or a laser pointer. For extra purrs, give her some empty boxes after the gifts have all been opened.
Decorations
Keep Fluffy’s safety in mind when decorating. Many popular holiday plants, such as poinsettias, mistletoe, yew, holly, and ivy, are toxic to cats. Tinsel, lights, garlands, and ribbons can all choke or entangle playful pets, and are extremely dangerous if swallowed. Ornament hooks, pine needles, and sharp ornaments are also hazardous.
The Tree
Fluffy just can’t resist batting at all those shiny ornaments! To make your tree somewhat kitty-proof, put the majority of the decorations on the top half. Hang just a few unbreakable things on the lower branches. Also, consider getting an artificial tree: these are harder for cats to climb than real ones. If you have a super-frisky furball, secure the tree top to the wall or ceiling with fishing line.
Stress
Some cats are fearless and friendly, and won’t even bother to get up from their kitty beds when guests arrive. Others will bolt for their favorite hiding spots the moment the doorbell rings. If your furball falls into the latter category, set her up in a quiet back room with toys, treats, food, bedding, and a litterbox when you host events. Fluffy will be purrfectly content to just sleep through the festivities!
Treats
Want to really get Fluffy’s little motor going? Offer her a special snack! A can of plain tuna, chicken, or crabmeat in water is fine. You can also give your furry buddy some shredded deli meat, or plain, cooked meat, fish or chicken, without the skin, bones, or fat.
Happy Holidays! Please contact us, your Eau Claire, WI vet clinic, for all your pet’s veterinary care needs.
