- Another possibility is to anchor the tree to the wall
with a piece of fishing twine. (If you secure it where a
picture usually hangs or to a hanger where a plant usually
is hung, you can cover the spot nicely once Christmas is
over)
- If you have a cut tree in a stand, it is important to
be certain that the cat can't get at the water in the stand.
The water from the tree, as well as the fir needles themselves,
contains tannin which is harmful to cats.
- Cats tend to look on the Christmas tree as an outdoor
playground and may jump onto it. Be sure that you don't
have any breakable ornaments on the tree or any small pieces
(such as metal hooks or small figures) that can be swallowed.
- Try leaving the bottom 1/3 of the tree undecorated, or
decorate it with unbreakable ornaments. Our cat, Dragon,
only likes to play with the bottom few ornaments and once
she has knocked them off the tree, she is done. We just
use kitty friendly ornaments and let her have her fun!
- Before putting lights on the tree, coat the cords with
bitter apple to prevent your cats from chewing them.
- There is a special cord you can buy called a "Smart
Cord," made by Safe Living, that will shut off the
electricity to the cord should there be a break in the integrity
of the wire - such as might happen if it were chewed on.
- Never leave the Christmas lights on unattended.
- Tinsel is also very harmful to cats and kittens if swallowed
and should be avoided entirely.
- Garlands are also dangerous as the cat could get tangled
up in it as well as if possibly break some of it loose and
swallow it.
There is no easy solution to keeping your cats away from
the Christmas tree so it is probably best to make sure the
tree is kitty safe. The most effective way to keep your cat
away from danger is to keep the tree in a room to which she
has no access, but what is Christmas without a cat or two
rustling through the paper? We'll be giving our kitties Catnip
Candy Canes in their stockings to keep them distracted
from the tree.
Holiday Plants
Mistletoe, holly, poinsettias and pine boughs are common holiday
plants. These can, however, be harmful (even fatal) if ingested
by your cat. Keep this in mind when you are deciding where
to adorn your house with holiday foliage. Vomiting, stumbling,
muscle tremors, depression and seizures can all be signs of
poisoning. If you suspect your cat ingested any of these plants
and notice kitty exhibiting any of these symptoms, please
seek veterinary care immediately.
Candles
Candles enhance the season and can permeate the air with a
myriad of sweet scents. But, if left burning unattended within
kitty's reach, may very well be a recipe for singed whiskers
or worse. So, please don't leave candles burning if you aren't
there to supervise.
Ribbons and Bows
Ribbons and bows beautify the Christmas presents under the
tree. These ribbons and bows can, however, be very enticing
to your cat. A couple of our cats love to chew on the bows,
so we have to strategically place our presents under the tree
with the bows hidden as much as possible. Or we leave the
bows off some packages if they become too irresistible. If
ingested, ribbons and bows can cause a potentially fatal intestinal
blockage in your cat. Wire ribbons, as you can imagine, could
result in kitty cutting her/his mouth if s/he chews on them.
Be mindful when wrapping your holiday packages. Be sure to
securely affix bows and use shorter length ribbons, as opposed
to longer ones, and avoid wire ribbons if your cat is too
tempted by them. If need be remove ribbons and bows altogether.
Your kitty's safety is more important than a pretty package
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