If you are a cat owner, you need to remember that seasonal cat care is very important. Christmas and other holidays can pose several risks to the safety and welfare of your little companion. A cat might attempt to climb a tall, unstable Christmas tree and topple it, or swallow and choke on a small, decorative ornament.
Avoid threats to your cat’s safety so you can avoid spending the holidays in a veterinary hospital. Consider the following cat care tips on holiday decorations and the hazards they present.
1. Christmas Trees
Cat owners need to make sure their little pets don’t try to climb the Christmas tree or use it as a scratching post. Both possibilities will be very appealing to your cat, so you need to take extra precautions to ensure that your tree is uninviting and balanced if your cat does try anything.
Make sure the base is secure. It is a good idea to make sure the top is safe from harm as well by running wires from it and then attaching them to fixed hooks at the top of windows or moldings. As well, you can pile ribbon-free boxes around the tree, which can either be real presents or only empty, decorated boxes to prevent access to the bottom.
2. Imitation Snow
Although it’s fun to have fake snow inside the house or on the Christmas tree, this icing-look-alike decoration may charm your cat into believing it really is edible icing. Fake snow is full of chemicals that can be hazardous to your cat if ingested. Consider using a less cat-appealing décor.
3. Edible Ornaments
Don’t those cute candy canes look like a great addition to your holiday decorations? However, they are not only attractive to you, they are also attractive to cats who will probably want to eat them or, at least, sample a few. The cellophane paper covering real candy canes and the glue covering fake ones can cause all kinds of problems for your cat.
4. Lighted Candles
Never use real candles to decorate your holiday tree, whether the tree is real or artificial. It’s a fire hazard in both cases.
You also can’t remove the danger of lighted candles by putting them out of reach in a room, since cats can climb almost anywhere and can reach almost anything if they are motivated enough to try. Either use artificial candles or don’t use them at all, or don’t have lighted candles in any room accessible to your cat. Make sure you are always in the room and keeping watch if you do light a candle.
5. Christmas Lights
Pretty holiday lights have electrical cords and your cat might chew on them. Keep them out of your pet’s sight, and make sure that you use high-quality lights that will not pose a fire hazard for your home.
6. Seasonal Berries and Plants
Berries and leaves of holiday plants can be toxic if consumed in large amounts and can cause damage to the nervous system or gastrointestinal infections for your cat. Although you may want to decorate your home with holly, holly berries, mistletoe or poinsettias, you should consider your cat’s safety.
Make sure the mistletoe, holly and berries are hung only from the ceiling and can’t be reached by your cat no matter how determined he or she is. Forget about real poinsettias and choose only pet-safe, plastic poinsettias.
7. Tinsel
Of all the Christmas decorations, tinsel tops the list of the most dangerous for cats. Cats love playing with it and, even if your cat eats only a small amount of tinsel, it can have a serious effect on their health. Tinsel can cause an intestinal obstruction, which often requires surgery. Cat owners should simply avoid using tinsel as a decoration.
Seasonal cat care requires learning about cat-friendly decorative choices versus the ones that can harm your feline friend. Fortunately, there are lots of suitable decorations for pet owners that are safe as well as beautiful for the holidays.
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