Now that the festive season is upon us there will be lots of preparations for Christmas. Whilst this is a happy time for most of us, it can bring about additional stress and potential problems for our feline family members.
Here is
the lowdown on some of the common hazards along with some hints on how to
prevent feline foes during the festive period.
Festive
Plants
Mistletoe contains toxic compounds and,
although considered to be fairly low in toxicity, some cats develop drooling,
vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort within a few hours after
eating it. The toxic part of the plant is the leaves and stems rather
than the berries. In rare cases tremors or convulsions have been
reported so it makes sense to keep them well away from your cats.
Poinsettia is a Euphorbia species of plant.
Although it does contain a toxin it is less toxic than most other
Euphorbia. Almost half of the cases reported to the Veterinary
Poisons Information Service remained well after eating Poinsettia.
However, it can cause irritation to the mouth and stomach with drooling,
vomiting and in-appetence. Occasionally, animals may develop a high
temperature and have more severe stomach irritation with bloody vomiting
or stools. Keeping plants out of harms reach is therefore a good idea.
Lilies are often included in Christmas
bouquets. Many varieties are dangerous as they are highly toxic to cats. Ingestion
of any part of the plant, including drinking the water they have been stood in,
poses a high risk. Kidney failure and fatalities are a strong
possibility. Prevention is very much the advice for this particular plant. Don’t
wait for symptoms to arise. Immediate veterinary attention
should be sought if you suspect ingestion.
Christmas
Trees & Decorations
Christmas
tree species
include spruce, fir and pine. These trees are considered to be of low
toxicity but if eaten may cause mild stomach upset such as vomiting
and diarrhoea, and they could cause gut obstruction if eaten or injury to the
G.I tract if needles are sharp.
Loose
needles can drop in to ears too.
Signs of this include sudden onset ear irritation and head shaking.
Lametta - Cats and kittens tend to be
curious about most decorations but lametta
is one of their favourites. It catches the light and oddly some cats like to
chew and swallow it. If enough is consumed a tight ball in the gut could cause
an obstruction.
Salt
Dough Decorations pose the hazard of salt poisoning in dogs and cats.
A decoration may contain around 8g of salt per tablespoon which is
very high. As well as vomiting and diarrhoea, symptoms can include a raised
heart rate, high blood pressure and kidney failure.
Consequently prompt veterinary attention is important.
Chocolate: Although it tends to be more
common in dogs, chocolate poisoning can affect cats too. Advent
calendars and christmas tree decorations are a particular risk. Theobromine
is the toxin responsible, with the higher percentage cocoa being the most
toxic. Signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, increased thirst and in some
cases convulsions. Keeping chocolate away from cats is therefore just
as important as it is for dogs.
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Feline
Stress at Christmas
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Scent
profile is
important for making a cat feel safe and secure. Christmas paraphernalia
brought in to the home brings in new and strange smells. This can be very
stressful for a cat. In an attempt to restore their own scent, some use
urine to mark the house. Rather than scold them, which is likely to make the
problem worse, it’s important to help them feel secure again. However
prevention is better than cure.
What can we do?
- Think about making sure
their core territory is not disrupted. This is where they eat
and sleep. Avoid bringing any different scents into this area. Also don’t
wash their bedding too much at this time of year as this will help retain
their own scent in the home.
- Prepare for parties by making sure your cats
can retreat somewhere safe and secure. Having lots of boxes
to hide in away from the noise as well as providing places to climb up on
will help too.
- Make sure that the cat’s
litter tray remains in a quiet place and avoid lots of foot traffic in
that location.
- Provide house-cats with
mental activities. This may help to take their minds off all the
comings and goings.
- Feliway is a feline
pheromone that is said to help promote security. It’s available in a
spray or diffuser and can help keep make the environment feel safer. Click
here for some useful information
on cat behaviour and how to ensure the home is a safe haven for them at
Christmas and throughout the rest of the year.
Caroline Clark is a consultant in animal behaviour counselling and you can find more information at www.peteducationandtraining.co.uk


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