The holidays may be the most wonderful time of the year, but they do present some dangers for housecats. Are you taking steps to make sure your cat is safe during the holidays? Here are 8 dangers to know about when protecting your cat during the holidays.
Christmas Tree Water
Many cats are far more interested in found water than they are in their own water dishes. This means that when they find a delicious dish of water under the Christmas tree, they will immediately want to drink it.
Christmas tree water can be dangerous to your cat because it can contain oils from the tree that can be toxic to your cat. Bacteria can also grow in the water, and cats may have stomach distress or experience vomiting if they drink it. Any fertilizers or other chemicals added to the tree can be a problem as well.
Tinsel
Tinsel is notorious for being attractive to cats. Cats love the shiny, crinkling strings, and will often want to chew on them. Ingesting tinsel is a problem because it can get stuck in a cat's digestive tract and cause serious injury and pain. Cat owners should choose something other than tinsel to decorate for the holidays.
Holiday Plants
Many popular holiday plants are toxic to animals, and many cats like to explore plants by chewing. Some of the plants to avoid are mistletoe, lilies, and amaryllis. Check with your vet if you have any doubts about the plants that come into your home environment, and keep plants away from cats until you know whether they are safe.
Electric Cords
Cats will sometimes chew on or play with electrical cords, so be careful to keep them out of reach of your cats. Chewing electrical cords may electrocute your cat or cause sparks that lead to a fire.
Alcohol
Watch where you put down your drinks when you have cats around. Some cats will take a lick of anything they find in a cup, especially if it smells good to them. Alcohol is toxic and can damage cats internally, so you don't want them sampling it.
Snow Globes
Sometimes snow globes can contain antifreeze. If your cat breaks a snow globe and consumes that material, the result can be deadly. Even a small amount of antifreeze can kill a cat.
Liquid Scents
Many people like to scent their homes with liquid potpourri, but the oils can be toxic if a cat tastes what is in the bowl. Popular holiday scents like wintergreen and pine are particularly troublesome. If you want to scent your house for the holidays, be sure to choose a method that is safe for your cats.
Too Much Activity
Some cats are not social by nature and not used to strangers in their territory. Be sure to reduce stress for your anxiety-prone cats before you invite people to your house. Give your cats a safe place to hide whenever people are over, and make sure that the cat has access to food, water, and a litter box without having to join the party. Keep curious children away from frightened cats as well.
Keeping your cats safe during the holidays is simple when you know the dangers to watch out for. Be careful about what your cats ingest and is introduced to during the holiday season so you and your kitty can enjoy the celebration together.
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