Nine Tips To Keep Your Cat Safe This Holiday Season
December 19, 2014 by
Cats Observe Birds From the Safety of the Great Indoors
April 23, 2014 by
Cat Safety Check for a Happy Healthy Holiday Season.
December 14, 2011 by
A cat is said to have nine lives, and the reason according to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable is that cats are “more tenacious of life than many animals, because a cat generally lights upon its feet without injury.” Even if we cats are tenacious, we are vulnerable during the holiday season when decorations are placed, plants arrive and the festivities begin. If you share your habitat with a feline family member, there are a few things that you should check to make sure the holiday season is safe for every member of your family.
Cat Safety Check for a Happy Healthy Holiday Season.
Holiday Plants:
I talked about the most common holiday plants and their toxicities to cats in a previous post. I listed the Amaryllis, Holly, Lily, Mistletoe and the Paperwhite Narcissus. The Poinsettia often rumored to be highly toxic actually is considered to have a low toxicity for cats along with the Christmas cactus. If you are uncertain about a plant and are concerned that your cat may have eaten something dangerous, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s animal poison control center at 888-426-4435.
The Christmas Tree:
My parents supervise my time spent with our tree.
Real trees pose a threat because pine tree needles can be dangerous to a cat if ingested. Christmas tree water that keeps a cut tree fresh can contain chemicals that can make cats sick. Be sure your cat can’t get access to the water in the tree stand.
Hanging ornaments:
Ornaments can be a temptation for most cats. The shiny, swinging movement alone makes the ornament irresistible to cat paws. Make sure your low hanging ornaments are cat friendly and are not made of materials that your cat can chew or otherwise ingest. Be careful of low hanging glass ornaments too as they can shatter when they are batted off the tree causing injury to paws and feet and even worse if the cat were to ingest any of the pieces.
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Cat Safety Around Holiday Plants!
December 13, 2011 by
Me, Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger as a kitten hiding in the poinsettia
It is the most wonderful time of the year for treats, celebrations and decorations. And the decorations might include holiday flowers and plants. I must admit that I have a special fondness for plants, especially the dirt in which they are planted. I love to throw the dirt out of the pot onto the floor. I don’t know why, I just do. But my dirt throwing plants are quite limited and in fact, since my adoption day, my parents seem to have a lot less plants in the habitat.
My Adoption Anniversary Day is coming soon because I remember I was found at the dog pound at Christmas time. When I first arrived in my forever loving habitat there was a beautiful red poinsettia on the table. I had never seen such a fantastic flower in all the days of my life. I found it irresistible and was told it was off limits. The deadly duo!
One day my mom was looking everywhere for me. She was calling my name, “Gracey, Gracey Lou.” Now I know when I hear the Gracey with the Lou attached that my parents are either getting super worried about me, or I might be in a bit of trouble. Either way, it is best if I show my whiskers when I hear Gracey Lou.
Please Consider Staying Home with your Cat on 4th of July
June 30, 2011 by
This 4th of July, I am going to ask you to consider staying home with your cat. And to consider creating a safe place of refuge from the noises of the holiday.
I know there are a lot of festivities and plenty of fun things to do but can you do these things during the day and then plan on being back inside safe and secure with your cat in your habitat when the sun goes down?
The reason that I ask you is that we cats are afraid of super loud noises. You know we don’t like thunderstorms but fireworks and firecrackers can be even more spooky. I can’t hardly stand to think about it now! ~shiver~
Noise is measured in units called decibels. The decibel range is from 0 to 140, the higher the number, the louder the noise. When humans are exposed to noise levels of 110 decibels or more for more than one minute, hearing loss can occur. Noise levels of 130 decibels or over will be painful and is likely to cause immediate hearing damage. In fact, no more than 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to 100 decibels is recommended.
