Christmas for cats

The holidays are here! What will our cat think of the Christmas environment? Colours, sounds, decorations, people coming and going, new smells, and lots of confusion... let's try to learn more:

• THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Pleasure and pain of every cat owner, the Christmas tree is an incredible attraction for cats. The shape, the smell, the countless dangling objects, they represent a playground waiting to be enjoyed! What are the basic advices for the tree’s survival and the cat's safety?

1. DO NOT use decorations made with glass or thin plastic, they could break in small sharp pieces and wound the cat. The ideal would be to use decorations made with cloth, wood, hard plastic, or unbreakable materials.
2. DO NOT use very thin strings, the cat might eat them, or get tangled and hurt itself. If you decide to use strings to decorate the tree make sure that they are not tightly fastened, so if the cat pulls them they will easily unfasten and not pull down the whole tree!
3. BE AWARE of the lights: NEVER leave the tree lights turned on without a human present; the cat might pull the lights down while playing, break them, and possibly hurt itself. The electric current is a source of danger too.
4. If you use a real tree, there is a chance the cat will pee in the tree vase. It's a very normal behaviour to mark this new object as part of the house; to avoid this small problem you can cover the vase and the ground inside with colourful present paper. If the cat pees on the paper you can use lemon peel as deterrent (rubbed on the paper, directly hanged as decoration, or sprayed with a vaporiser on the paper).

• THE NATIVITY SCENE

Just like the Christmas tree, the Nativity Scene represents an amazing playground for the cat! Here are some tips:

1. if you can, avoid using real moss: it has a strong attraction power for the cat and you risk to find pee or even more consistent presents in it!
2. DO NOT use very small statues, the cat might eat them. For the same reason do not use statues that might break in small pieces.
3. Choose with care the nativity scene’s location. Putting it on high ground is not a guarantee for protection against the cat's attacks. It might actually be riskier, the cat could make everything fall off or hurt itself trying to reach it, so better to put it lower.
4. DO NOT use potentially toxic materials (fake snow, sprays, small pieces of styrofoam...).

• GENERAL ADVICES

1. Be careful of the strings you hang around the house, it's fine if the cat plays with them, but make sure it doesn't eat them!
2. Be careful of everything with electric current.
3. The day all the guests will come to the house remember to have a quiet place reserved for the cat, not every cat likes chaos and new people. You need to give the cat the opportunity to have a place to relax, where NOBODY will disturb it (a room, a closed basket, a wardrobe left open...). Put the water bowl next to this quiet place and keep a clear passage to the litter box (DO NOT move the litter box, it might cause uneasiness and bring more stress!).

Merry Christmas to everybody and accept the fact that your tree will be assaulted daily and the nativity scene will have Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and ... the Cat!

P.S.: DO NOT scold the cat if it creates some Christmas disaster; it's not teasing you, it's just following its "cattish" nature: everything is a mystery to discover and explore. Be calm this holiday, laugh at all the surprises your beloved cat might give you, and be amazed by its incredible curiosity and initiative!

FISAP CAB Roberta Roscini
ICAN Feline Behaviorist (Consultant)