Cats and Christmas

I used to buy my cats Christmas presents – toys and such like – and then realised they haven’t a clue what I am talking about and just want to know, ‘is that some nice turkey meat for me?’ So what does Christmas mean for a cat? Whilst I do not want to be a Bah humbug! sort of person (I LOVE Christmas time!) I hope you will see why there could need for this reminder in the festive season.

Cats are very much creatures of habit and routine. The daily check of territory, expected times for sleep, eat and play. When Christmas comes all that goes by the board. The home is noisier, visitors are coming and going, children are more excitable, lots of new food smells are coming from the kitchen. There’s a Christmas tree to explore; tinsel and baubles to knock down and play with – and probably get scolded about. Turkey bones … m’mmm, tempting … but a no-no. Many cats find it all too much, and spend more time outdoors in the cold or find a place to hide indoors, usually somewhere totally unexpected. All pets, dogs included, can get stressed and anxious, and may get hurt as a result.

Here are some of tips to help make Christmas and Hogmanay go more smoothly for all of you!

• When you have lots of visitors it might be kinder to shut your pets in a quiet room so that they are out of all the hustle and bustle and can settle down without fear and anxiety. It also means they are not going to get in people’s way, or underfoot when cooking, and you won’t get so stressed when they do something they shouldn’t!
• When buying your Christmas tree baubles think about the kind you get. Plastic or glass splinters can mean a very expensive trip to the vet let alone the pain caused to your pet if he or she tries to play with them and swallows fragments.
• A real Christmas tree is very lovely … but its needles can cause a lot of damage if swallowed. Likewise tinsel, which can tangle itself in stomach or intestine. Most mature animals have the sense to leave these things alone, but young ones can easily get over-excited and do something rash.
• Please do not give any poultry bones, (chicken, duck, goose or turkey) to either your dog or your cat, for they splinter and may get stuck in the gullet or stomach and cause internal bleeding.

As usual, we will not be moving any cats or kittens into new homes during the period from 18th December to 4th January, as it is not fair to them to be put in a new environment at a celebratory time that they will find very alarming. We will however, still be searching for new homes, and can reserve a cat to be placed with you after that time.