Holiday Safety Tips for Cats: Christmas Decorations

Photo credit: Trish Hamme.

Christmas is a joyous time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Yet, like many other holidays, Christmas holds potential dangers for our furry friends.  Please read on to find out about the potential risks as well as how to best protect your kitty during this time of year.

Christmas Tree: Christmas tress pose many potential dangers for kitties  The best way to keep your kitty safe from the Christmas tree is to put the tree in a room your cat cannot access.  Alternatively, you could put your tree into a room with a door on it so that you can close the door when you're not home.  Unfortunately, these solutions are not always practical, so it's best to make your Christmas tree as safe as you can for your cat.

Real pine trees are toxic to cats, and if swallowed, pine needles can puncture a kitty's internal organs.  Fake trees are definitely safer for cats, but if you must have a real tree in your home, please ensure that the tree's water supply is sufficient so that the tree won't dry up and drop needles onto the floor.  Check for needles around your tree daily, and sweep or vacuum up any that have fallen onto the floor.  The tree's water supply will also be poisonous to your cat, so ensure that he or she cannot drink it.

Whether you have a real or fake tree, make sure the tree's base is sturdy so that the tree isn't able to be knocked over easily.  Pet Wave suggests that many tree stands are not sufficient for the weight and height of their trees.  The site suggests that you invest in a larger, sturdier stand and duct tape it to a non-carpeted floor to prevent your kitty from toppling the tree over if he or she decides to climb inside it.  If you have a carpeted floor, you can use twine to anchor your tree to a hook in your wall, but make sure the twine doesn't pose a risk to your feline in itself.  You may want to place your tree away from any furniture or shelves as well so your kitty can't jump onto your tree from them.

Ornaments: Make sure all ornaments are securely fastened to the tree, especially the ones on the bottom that your cat can easily reach.  It's best not to put any fragile ornaments on the bottom of your tree in case your kitty bats at them and knocks them off.  Your furry friend could easily cut his or her paws on broken glass ornaments that he or she batted off the tree.

Tinsel: Please avoid putting tinsel on your tree.  Tinsel is very pretty, but if your cat swallows it, it can cause intestinal blockages, which may be fatal or require expensive emergency surgery.

Angel Hair, Flocking, and Artificial Snow: Angel hair, artificial snow, and flocking are also toxic to kitties, and if they are ingested in large quantities, they can cause intestinal blockages.  It's best to try to find alternative decorations for your home.

Decorative Lights: Electrical cord chewing can lead to mouth burns, electrical shock, and electrocution for your cat.  To help protect your furry friend, spray your Christmas light cords and extension cords with a deterrent, such as Bitter Apple.  It is also important to always unplug your tree lights before leaving the house as well.

Candles: Keep lit candles out of your cat's reach so that he or she doesn't accidentally bum him or herself or knock them over, causing a fire.  Remember to blow out your candles before going to sleep or leaving the house so no accidents occur while your kitty is unsupervised.  You could also consider using flameless candles as decorations instead.

Gift Wrapping: Because ribbons can cause intestinal obstruction if swallowed, I would recommend not using them on gifts in your home.  Gift bows, like the one pictured, are safer for kitties.

To keep your presents and feline completely safe, you may want to consider not putting the gifts under the tree until right before your Christmas celebration.

By utilizing these tips, you can help keep your cat safe during the holidays.

Jewel's Journeys

Photo credit: Erik Drost

The first Christmas I knew Jewel, I went over to spend the day with her and her former owner (we were obviously not roommates then).  Jewel didn't have any toys, and that made me quite sad for her.  So for Christmas, I decided to start her toy collection (which I would add to over time) off with a little kickeroo.  I also bought her some treats, which were her favorite thing in the world!

When I arrived at their house, I placed the toy, treats, and my friend's present under the tiny table tree he had.  While my friend cooked a little food, I watched as Jewel went over to the presents to check them out (nobody had ever gotten her a present before!!).

The next thing I knew, Jewel was dragging her bag of treats, wrapped in Christmas paper, away from the tree!  How I wish I had a photo or video of her doing this to show you!  It was so adorable!!  She couldn't wait to get into those treats.

Needless to say, she LOVED the treats I got her!  She also really liked her new toy :)

We received two wonderful surprises today that we wanted to tell you about as well.  The first came from our awesome friends Robin, Dave, Cinco, and Manna from Playful Kitty.  They sent us a Christmas tree and some ornaments!!  Aren't these owls pretty?  They remembered that owls remind me of my Jewel.  So even thought Jewel is not here with us physically this Christmas, she will definitely be present this year during the celebration.  As soon as I get ornament hooks later, I will put up and decorate the tree.  I can't wait to show you all what it looks like!

The second surprise came tonight.  I received a box, and, thinking it was Milita's present I had ordered, I opened it up.  Was I ever surprised to find a Grumpy Cat coloring book, which I wrote about in last week's Jewel's Journeys post, and Grumpy Cat stickers!!  This very sweet and thoughtful package came from our sweet friends Melissa and Truffles from Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Thank you so very very much for thinking of us!  We are blessed to have friends like you.  This season is an incredibly difficult one without Jewel, but having such thoughtful and caring friends sure helps.  :)

Holiday decoration hazards

The most recent poll on Cat Channel asked cat owners what holiday decoration most interested their cats. The results show that cats are most intrigued by Christmas trees, with 59% of respondents reporting their cats being most intrigued by this holiday decoration. Thirteen percent of cat owners answered that their cats are most intrigued by garland, 9% said their cats are most interested in the holiday lights, and 6% responded their cats are most interested in stuffed animals/toys related to the holiday season.

Although Christmas has passed, I urge all of the cat owners out there to watch their cats closely when they are under the Christmas tree. While some cats merely enjoy laying under the tree, as one of my cats did, some kitties attempt to climb the tree, which can result in a dangerous situation. In attempting to climb the tree, a kitty can inadvertently knock , cat owners, catit over, which may injure your kitty, not to mention the potential fire hazard this situation presents.

I urge you to watch your kitty as you take down your Christmas tree and put away decorations as well. Curious kitties may try to eat small hooks, ornaments, tinsel, or pine needles.