Cat-Proof Holiday Decorating
Keep your feline and home festive and safe throughout the season.
It’s November and it will soon be time to pull those boxes of holiday decorations out of the attic and decorate the house. If you have cats, though, there are several precautions you need to take to ensure they stay healthy into the New Year.
If you celebrate Christmas and prefer a real tree, be aware that pine needles can injure your cat’s mouth if chewed. The sap is also a harmful irritant. In addition, these trees are often treated with chemical preservatives. The water in your tree stand is thus very bad for your cat, so cover the top of the opening with foil or plastic wrap and then cover with a tree skirt. Don’t get a flocked tree—the chemicals used in fake snow are toxic to cats.
Ideally, never leave your cats unattended in the room with the tree or other tempting decorations, such as a garland and ornaments on a mantle. If you’re leaving the room, take your kitties with you and shut the door. This is not practical in open-plan homes, so take measures that minimize the danger to your cats.
Choosing the right ornaments is half the battle. Never use any kind of tinsel. Ingesting just a few strands of tinsel can create a dangerous intestinal blockage. Avoid edible ornaments, such as cranberry and popcorn garlands, cookies or candy canes. Put all delicate or breakable ornaments on the top half of the tree. Better yet, display them separately in a glass-front cabinet. Put Christmas lights only in the upper half or two-thirds of the tree, depending on the size of the tree and the jumping ability of your cats. Always unplug the lights when you leave the room.
Any cat worthy of the name will try to climb the tree at least once, so do your best to keep him off it. If that is impractical, make it impossible to knock over. You can brace the tree stand with a couple of sandbags, and then cover them with a tree skirt. You can also use wires and screws to anchor the tree to a nearby wall or to the ceiling.
Other traditional decorations to avoid are those that include real holly berries or mistletoe. Both are likely to make your cat very sick if eaten. Plants grown from bulbs—such as lilies, tulips, narcissus and amaryllis—are also poisonous to cats. Eating poinsettias won’t kill a cat, but it can make him sick. Look for realistic silk flowers or if you must have real ones, choose nontoxic flowers such as orchids, roses, African violets and bromeliads. It’s still not a good idea to let your cat eat these plants, but at least they’ll give him a tummy ache at worst.
Never leave lit candles where a cat can get at them. All cat owners are aware of the delight cats take in knocking things over. Always extinguish candles when you leave an area where cats are present.
When you wrap presents, avoid elaborate bows and fancy decorations. If your cat can pull off pieces of ribbon or small baubles, he will and swallowing these things can be as bad as swallowing tinsel.
One way to deal with your cats’ curiosity as you bustle about decorating, baking and wrapping packages is to provide safe distractions. Offer an occasional favorite treat, provide new catnip toys and replace those old worn scratching posts with new ones. This way your cats won’t feel left out of the festivities. Although they’ll still probably try to climb the tree.
About the Author: Lisa King is a freelance writer living in Southern California. She is the former managing editor of Pet Product News International, Dogs USA, and Natural Dog magazines. Lisa is also the author of the well-received murder mystery novels “Death in a Wine Dark Sea” and “Vulture au Vin.”
The Wizard of Oz. First published in 1900, this fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum featured the infamous Toto, a Cairn Terrier whose dislike for mean old ladies served as a catalyst for Dorothy’s adventures in Oz. In the “Wizard of Oz,” we manage to root for a dog with a proclivity to bite people because some folks clearly deserve it. Dorothy’s love and loyalty to her little dog still strikes a chord with readers more than 100 years later.
Call of the Wild. The ultimate canine adventure story, Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” was published in 1903 and features Buck, a St. Bernard/Collie cross, who is stolen from his home in California and shipped to the far north during the Canadian gold rush of the 1890s. Buck is forced to become a sled dog and ultimately fight for his life. Although the main character of this classic is a dog, the book was written for adults and took many years for London to research.
The Plague Dogs. Written by Richard Adams, famous for his first book “Watership Down,” ”Plague Dogs” tells the heartbreaking story of two dogs, Rowf and Snitter, who escape from a cruel research laboratory in England. Published in 1977, the book takes readers through the trials of Rowf and Snitter, and a red fox named The Tod, who they befriend. The dogs are pursued by the government and slandered in the media. Considered a literary masterpiece by many, “Plague Dogs” is a moving book.
I Am the Messenger. Markus Zusak, author of this contemporary novel published in 2005, is most well-known for “The Book Thief,” a New York Times Bestseller for more than 230 weeks. In “I Am the Messenger” (or “The Messenger,” as it was originally published in Zusak’s native Australia), protagonist Ed Kennedy turns to the companionship of his old dog, The Doorman, when he starts receiving mysterious messages written on playing cards instructing him to intercede in strangers’ lives. The Doorman is a stinky mutt who likes to drink coffee, and thanks to Zusak’s brilliant writing, you can almost smell him.
Inspired by Planet Dog’s local romping grounds in Portland, Maine, the Orbee-Tuff® Buoy dog toy is designed to be tossed, tugged, fetched, stuffed and floated. Its buoy shape makes for delightfully unpredictable bounces, while the rope allows for easy fetching when on land or at sea. The nontoxic, made-in-the USA dog toy also features a Treat Spot for interactive treat-dispensing fun. Available in red/blue or red/glow, it stands 5-in. high and is rated “4-out-5 chompers” on Planet Dog’s Durability Scale, making it suitable for most chewers. 
P.L.A.Y.’s (Pet Lifestyle And You) new Leeloo Cat Scratcher is designed to spoil your furry friends with multiple angles to scratch and lounge. The stylish cat retreat was created with the fiercest scratchers in mind. Made with FDA-certified corrugated recycled paper, its fiber patterns offer extra durability and prevent excessive fiber shedding. The Leeloo cat scratcher has a reversible, infinity shape to entice your kitty to play or lay, while adding some pizzazz to your home space. Available in two colors: Savannah Gray and Savannah Brown. 
Created as a topping for dog food kibble, Frenchie’s Kitchen’s new Tasty Toppers for Dogs are made with whole food ingredients to provide an added boost of natural vitamins and minerals to a dog’s diet without adding a lot of calories. The toppers are sold frozen and are available in two varieties: Chicken and Veggies Stew, and Grain-Free Turkey and Veggies Stew. As with all Frenchie’s Kitchen products, the toppers are additive- and preservative-free. 
Want to provide your cat with a unique toy and help conserve wildlife at the same time? Then check out this Felted Wool Snake cat toy from the Snow Leopard Trust. Handmade from scraps of felted sheep wool by families in rural Mongolia, the toy helps save snow leopards by providing income to local communities and offering them an alternative to poaching. Available in several color schemes, each snake is approximately 12-in. long and weighs only a few ounces, making it a great toss and bat toy. And, as the hand-processed wool retains the rich fragrance of the sheep’s natural lanolin, no catnip is required. The product is Certified Wildlife Friendly. 
With the holidays fast approaching, you can help your cats get into the festive spirit with these adorable toys from West Paw Design. The Holiday Field Mouse is made from faux fur and features red ears and tail. Filled with USDA-certified organic catnip, it has an engaging bell to keep your cat(s) perpetually entertained. The Holiday Big Sky Mouse’s super soft faux suede comes from bright-red Big Sky Blanket remnants and is also filled with organic catnip and a securely sewn-in bell. 
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