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Tips To Help Your Cat This Festive Season

The festive season, a time full of joy and love, should be enjoyable for you and your cat. But it does bring about a few changes that can be slightly confusing for your feline.

The house becomes busier, strange decorations alter the interior of their home, plus a giant green plant pops up and they're not even allowed to scratch it!

So, to ensure you and your cat have a very merry Christmas together, we’ve put together some festive tips for you to follow...

Climbing up the Christmas tree…

cat and christmas tree

It's perfectly normal for your kitty to be attracted to your brand new Christmas tree.

Can you blame them?! It looks exactly like a giant scratching post complete with enticing toys that swing and sparkle.

To avoid your feline having a little too much fun with this festive plant, use their powerful sense of smell against them! Cats dislike citrus scents so hanging orange or lemon peels around the base can help make them less tempted to pounce or nibble.

Fragile do not paw

cat checking christmas ornament

A Christmas tree wouldn't be the same without an array of colourful decorations, but it would be ideal if these alluring trimmings couldn't be smashed or eaten!

If you do have a small selection of breakable ornaments, save them for the top of the tree, out of easy reach of your kitty.

Also, to keep wandering paws distracted, make sure plenty of their toys are always available to them.

Good things come to felines who wait

cat checking their christmas presents

It's ALWAYS tempting to have a sneak peek at presents left under the Christmas tree. Your feline is guilty of this too.

Shiny presents under the tree are likely to attract your furry friend’s attention, and while their determination to rip open gifts that you've spent hours carefully wrapping is impressive, it can ultimately result in surprises being ruined!

To redirect your cat's magpie eyes (and give them an early Christmas gift), scrunch some leftover wrapping paper up into a ball and create a fun toy for them to play with.

Wrap without ribbon

cat playing with christmas ribbon

Your cat has a secret skill: they can turn almost anything in your house into a play toy.

Most of the time this is not a problem but at Christmas certain 'toys' should be avoided, ribbon being a prime example.

The reason being? Your cat's tongue is covered with barbs (tiny spikes) that point backward towards their throat. Because of the direction these spikes face, they don't allow a cat to spit anything out once it is caught on their tongue.

Useful when your kitty needs to groom themselves or pull meat from bones, but problematic when thin ribbon or string gets caught. Probably best to avoid these decorative bindings at all costs.

Silent night

cat peace and quiet during holidays

Christmas tends to attract guests - distant relatives, children and friends. As wonderful as the annual congregation of family members can be , at times it can leave you feeling a little frazzled so imagine how it is for your private kitty.

While some furry felines like being in the spotlight over the festive season, others can feel shy when surrounded by strangers.

If your kitty retreats to their safe haven, inform your guests to leave them be.

Once they've familiarized themselves with the new sounds and smells, and realized there is no threat, they'll most likely come out to give your guests a kitty-kiss under the (fake) mistletoe.

Plugging in a FELIWAY CLASSIC Diffuser will fill the room with “happy messages”, which will also help them to relax and get into the Xmas spirit.

Santa paws is coming to town…

kitten with christmas present

Yuletide stockings filled with toys and tasty treats, pet advent calendars, personalized Christmas cards featuring photos of their cherished cat - adoring cat owners will use any excuse to treat their furry friend to a lavish gift.

But have you actually thought about what your kitty would actually ask for if they had a Christmas wish list? Instead of purchasing the usual cat toy or food bowl, why not get creative this year.

There will no doubt be an array of empty present boxes lying around, which can easily be upcycled and transformed into a fun toy for your kitty.

From cardboard cat castles to your very own homemade cat friendly decorations, the possibilities are infinite and you'll be able to give your kitty a Christmas gift they won't want to return.

Christmas dinner do's and don'ts

cat enjoying Christmas dinner

What could be a more special gift for your cat than to tuck into their very own Christmas dinner?

Although it may be tempting to let them share your Christmas leftovers, and whilst a few bites of boneless turkey can be consumed problem-free, an excessive amount of human food is likely to give them a bad tummy.

To ensure your cat really enjoys their Xmas lunch, buy some feline friendly delights, such as a nice piece of meat or some fancy fish, to keep them happy and in the holiday spirit.

All I want for Christmas is you

Owner with cat during holidays

Use the festive break to spend some serious one on one time with your kitty.

Engage in play sessions that involve more than just the wiggle of a toy mouse. Let's face it, after all the fancy food you could probably both use a bit of exercise.

And finally, be sure to make room for your feline when the whole family is snuggled upon the couch watching Christmas specials . They've definitely earned their spot.

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