Holidays With Fluffy

Happy Holidays! This time of year can get pretty hectic. If you have a kitty, your feline pal will no doubt supervise you carefully as you prepare for seasonal events and activities. In this article, a Carolina Forest, SC vet offers tips on spending the holidays with cats.

We suspect that many of our feline patients are eyeing beautifully-decorated trees with bright eyes and bushy tails right now. If you know or suspect kitty shenanigans, take a few ‘purrcautions.’ Use fishing line to secure the treetop to the wall or ceiling. Also, put most of the decorations on the top part of the tree, out of paws’ reach. Just hang a few unbreakable ornaments on the lower branches. You may also find it helpful to give Fluffy some new toys, and play with her daily.

Don’t forget to fill Fluffy’s stocking! Toys may very well be at the top of your furball’s wish list. Classic kitty gifts, like catnip mice, are always popular, but you can also get your furry buddy something more modern, like a remote-controlled mouse or a mechanical ‘swimming’ fish. Beds are also a good bet. Your cute pet will also have fun playing in empty boxes and gift bags after everyone has opened their gifts.

Some kitties are very timid, and will bolt for their favorite hiding spots when guests arrive. If you have a nervous pet, make sure she has plenty of comfy spots to retreat to. If you’re hosting an event, put Fluffy in a quiet back room with bedding, food, water, toys, and a litterbox, and let her nap through the festivities.

Our feline friends are very playful and curious, which is why they are so entertaining. However, cats don’t really know what is and isn’t safe for them. Keep Fluffy’s safety in mind as you decorate. Seasonal plants, such as poinsettias, holly, and ivy, are toxic to kitties. Ribbons, pine needles, fragile ornaments, tinsel, ornament hooks, candles, garlands, and other decorations are also dangerous.

Fluffy definitely deserves a special holiday treat! Just stick to safe options, like plain canned tuna or chicken in water; sodium-free broth; shredded deli meat; or plain, cooked, boneless meat, fish, or poultry. All of us here at Waccamaw Regional Veterinary Center, your Carolina Forest, SC vet clinic, want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Contact us anytime!