Holiday Stress and Cats: Tips to Keep Your Kitty Calm at Every Age

Holiday stress and cats differ by age and include food, trees, noises, and guests. Here's how to manage the season with kitties of all life stages.

Ah, vacation stress and cats! Christmas 1992 was once I learned I actually didn’t apprehend a lot of regarding cat-proofing throughout the vacations. One evening, my 1-year-old Cornish Rex, Jordan, climbed halfway up our little Christmas tree, grabbed the garland in his mouth, and leaped out of the tree onto the ground. The tree, complete with all my delicate glass ornaments, followed Jordan halfway across space till he forgoing of the garland and ran out of the space.

I may need Sabbatum there for an instant in disbelief before I visited make certain Jordan was okay. (He was — and was busy acting casual regarding it, as cats do.) Then I set the tree upright, swept up the broken ornaments, removed the garland, and firmly hooked up the tree to the closest wall. I additionally talked to Jordan’s stockman and my vet regarding different ways in which to “holiday-proof” my house.

I still use a number of those tips with my current feline companions, 7-year-old Jack and 3-year-old Phillip. to urge additional sensible cat parenting recommendation, I asked Jacqueline Munera, a licensed cat behavior authority with the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, what cat homeowners will expect from their pets throughout the vacations. She aforesaid a cat or kitten’s behavior typically stems from the animal’s overall temperament and temperament.

Holiday Stress and Kittens

Cats and holiday lights are dangerous at any age. Photography by turlakova / Shutterstock.

 Expect your kitten to be naturally interested in all the decorating and events that go along with the vacations. In fact, a kitten can notice things to urge into that you simply don't expect. Such a behavior may well be chew on the needles of the tree.

“Cat grass is incredibly vital [during the holidays] for kitties of all age teams, and it will facilitate keep cats from chew on Christmas trees,” Munera aforesaid. She additionally suggested researching the toxicity of any vacation plants you wish to show round the house, as well as poinsettias.

Don’t worry: If your kitten avoids the vacation decorations, she may well be to a small degree weak by the changes in her atmosphere. try and reassure her, and let her go at her own pace.

Be concerned: energetic behavior, instinctive reflex or looseness of the bowels may well be a signal that your kitten has devoured one thing she shouldn’t have, like made vacation foods left unattended. Take her to the vet as before long as potential.

Holiday Stress and Adult Cats

Cats and wrapping gifts don’t mix, either. Photography by Paranamir / Shutterstock.

 Your adult cat still may well be into things virtually the maximum amount as kittens, Munera aforesaid: “They would possibly really relish being terribly concerned if it's the tradition for them.”

At my house throughout the vacations, Jack tends to ignore all the vacation decorations, however, Phillip thinks I’ve started a playground only for him. He cracked the ornaments off rock bottom branches of the tree (we have soft, stuffed ornaments to position there for simply this reason).

He additionally pulls all the bows off all the gifts and hides them behind the pillows on the couch. He doesn’t climb the tree — give thank goodness! — however, he positively likes to nap beneath it, hidden among the gifts.

Don’t worry: Save your most cherished ornaments by golf shot them on the highest branches and going rock bottom branches vacant. place “safe” ornaments close to rock bottom, therefore, your cat will play with them and luxuriate in the tree while not damaging one thing you like.

Be concerned: Curling ribbon or different string-like decorations (like tinsel) will become wedged in your cat’s abdomen or intestines. If you think your cat has eaten one thing like this, take him to the vet as before long as potential.

Holiday Stress and Senior Cats

Senior cats might greet the holidays with a calmer attitude. Photography by Irina Kozorog / Shutterstock.

 After his 1st few Christmases in our home, Jordan settled down into a quiet vacation routine. within the previous few years of his life, he very looked as if it would relish the guests and also the elevated quantity of uproar around the house.

Munera aforesaid this may well be associated with a senior cat losing a little of his hearing and vision.

“Some of those declines will be a blessing,” she explained. “For example, a cat United Nations agency was uncomfortable with loud vacation music or loud guests would possibly not be able to hear them terribly clearly and can be less stressed.”

An older cat additionally won't have an interest in rising the tree or jumping up to research a vacation buffet table just because of physical limitations, Munera said.

Don’t worry: If your senior cat retreats to a quiet place far from the vacation excitement, let him have his alone time. even as physical decline might create celebrations less disagreeable, some psychological feature changes would possibly create the heightened activity level a little overwhelming for the associate older cat.

Be concerned: If vacation guests United Nations agency put into effect interacting together with your senior cat appear to create him nervous, offer him an area to relax in a very quiet area, and raise your guests to respect his want to cover.