Holiday Cat Care Tips

With the holidays approaching, many people are busy making preparations. Your feline pal will definitely be paying close attention as you decorate and wrap gifts! A local San Antonio, TX vet offers some holiday cat care tips below.

Many people have more visitors than usual at this time of year. While some kitties won’t bat an eye when company arrives, others will bolt for their favorite hiding spots. Make sure Fluffy has plenty of comfy spots to retreat to if she feels uneasy.

We can’t really make a holiday cat post without mentioning Fluffy’s habit of climbing trees. If you put a tree up, decorate the bottom branches sparingly, and with things that won’t break. Keep the majority of the lights, tinsel, ribbons, and fragile ornaments on the top part of the tree. Bribery also helps. Give Fluffy some of her gifts early, and play with her every day.

Keep Fluffy’s safety in mind as you decorate. Many seasonal plants, such as poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and ivy, are toxic to cats. Candles, ornament hooks, pine needles and anything small or sharp are also unsafe.

Don’t forget to get your pet some gifts! Fluffy will definitely appreciate a new bed. Toys are also a great choice. You can go with basic kitty playthings, like catnip mice, or something new, like a remote-controlled mouse or a mechanical ‘swimming’ fish. Cat furniture, catnip, window seats, and kitty grass are also good options.

Food is a big part of many holiday celebrations. Fluffy certainly deserves a special treat! Cats can have some plain, canned tuna in water; shredded deli meat; sodium-free broth; or cooked, unseasoned fish or poultry, without the skin, bones, or fat. Store-bought treats are also fine. Just stick with safe foods. Never give your kitty garlic, onions, scallions, or chives; chocolate; mushrooms; alcohol; grapes, currants, or raisins; dairy products; meat on the bone; or pitted fruit. Ask your vet for more information.

The holidays are great, but they can get hectic. Take some time to just relax! There’s no better way to spend a chilly evening than to curl up with a purring cat and a good book or movie.

Happy Holidays! Please reach out to us, your San Antonio, TX vet clinic, for all of your cat’s veterinary care needs. We’re here to help!