When you’re a Cat Parent, you want your cat to feel safe and loved at all times. This is certainly true during the holiday season! The holidays can be an exciting and loving time for everyone–especially your cats–if you commit to these few special ways to make the season special for them too.
Factor Them Into Your Holiday Plans
Perhaps no pet was better-suited to last year’s pandemic lockdown than your cat. Many pet homes ran on quieter routines over last year’s holidays, with fewer visitors, travels, and disruptions. This is the sort of thing cats adore.
This year, you might be planning more get-togethers with family and friends. That can be a great idea, and good for your mental health, but remember to factor your kitty into your plans. If you will be leaving your cat at home, make sure that the Sitters you enlist to help feed and visit your kitty want to do the job and will do it with attention and kindness.
If your cat is going to stay with them, visit and carefully evaluate any home you might be boarding your cat to ensure its escape-proof and hazard-free, and ask to meet any additional household members who will be responsible for the care of your pet.
If your cat travels with you, make sure to make travel plans that leave you plenty of time to get where you’re going. Part of the reason we love our cats is that they are so in tune with us; and if you are stressed about travel deadlines and routes, your cat will become stressed as well. Make sure you are calm about your travel preparations, and chances are they will stay calm with you.
Prioritise Safety When Decorating
The holidays can be a beautiful and festive time, particularly with season-appropriate decorations–but some of those items can be harmful to cats. Show your cat they’re loved by making sure that no matter what holiday items you decorate your home with, their safety and good health are your primary concerns.
Many holiday plants, including mistletoe and poinsettias, even when not toxic to your cat, can cause digestive upset. When decorating with live plants, always make sure to consult a source like the online Pet Poison Hotline.
A good rule of thumb is also to keep many decorations out of the reach of your cat friend. Strings of lights can be tempting for them to play with or chew on, and items like tinsel and breakable ornaments can also be ingested or broken and stepped on. When decorating, make an effort to choose pet-friendly items, like shatter-proof ornaments, artificial trees and greenery (which do not smell like pine and are not as attractive to animals), and even creatively deployed wrapping paper decorations (which cats adore playing with).
Keep the Gift-Giving and Timing Appropriate
We love our cats, and of course, they know that something is afoot as we prepare and decorate for the holidays. You will want to get your furry friend a special treat or gifts, but keep in mind that cats thrive on routine, and that forcing them to “open” and play with gifts when you and your family are–like early in the morning, when they might still be enjoying their sleep–is unrealistic.
Also keep in mind that as much as you want to splurge on the perfect gifts for your pets, you most likely have other responsibilities and items for which you must save money and resources. Your cat will love you even if you keep the gifts simple–a new catnip mouse or wand cat toy–especially if doing so removes some of the worries throughout the year that you might have about paying for vet visits or needed medications.
What your cat may most appreciate is the gift of your time and attention. Each cat is an individual, of course, but many cats love nothing more than simply being with their human. Somewhere in the middle of your frantic holiday preparations and entertaining, make sure to schedule in plenty of time just to be with your friend, resting or playing together in the coziest spot in your house!
With just a little bit of planning and keeping the needs of your cat friend(s) foremost in your holiday preparations, the holiday season can be a festive and healthy time for you and your kitties.
