Decorating for the holiday season can be complicated if you are a cat owner. Christmas trees, in particular, are basically like catnip to your feline friends. Their limbs make great scratching posts, and the tinsel, ornaments, and other decorations make fun play toys. While it might annoy you to find your kitty constantly attacking or climbing on your tree, it can also be dangerous for them. Learning proper holiday pet safety tactics can prevent any harm from coming to your animal.  

Why Keep Your Cat From Your Christmas Tree?

Maintaining pet safety around your home should not stop during the holidays, and unfortunately, your Christmas tree is often the biggest threat to your cat during this time of the year. If they decide to make a meal out of the needles, it could cause harmful intestinal blockage.

Also, the water used in the bowl is filled with harmful bacteria, which could make them seriously ill if they drink it. There’s also the issue with the tree decorations. Shiny and dangling objects will definitely attract your furry friend, and many of them, including tinsel, can cause digestive problems if eaten. 

How to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree?

While maintaining pet safety requires taking extra steps during the holidays, it is often fairly easy to keep them protected. To begin with, attach the tree to any nearby walls or the ceiling with fishing wire to keep it from being knocked over. Next, place a cover or box over the water bowl to prevent your cat from drinking it.

When decorating, limit the number of shiny or glistening objects that could catch your pet’s eye or that they could easily knock off. Avoid using tinsel or angel hair altogether as they cause fatal intestinal blockages when ingested. Also, if your cat has a tendency to chew on cords, maybe reconsider adding lights. Finally, at the end of each day, remember to check around the base of the tree for fallen needles and sweep them up immediately. 

If you plan on traveling during the holidays while your tree is still standing, consider cat boarding to maintain your pet’s safety. At Hickman Creek Kennel in Nicholasville, KY, they provide a safe and comfortable place for your animals to stay while you are away. All feline visitors are treated to the private cat room, where they are allowed to roam, climb the giant tree, hang out in the kitty tree house, or lounge in their private condos. To learn more about this pet boarding facility, call them today at (859) 885-3647 and visit their website for more pet safety tips.