Does your cat hate Christmas?



Christmas should be a time of fun and good cheer for us all. A chance to get together with family and friends, catch up on the events of the past year, put up decorations and generally enjoy a change of routine and forget the winter blues for a while.



Great for the people in the family, but how does it affect our pets?



Most cats are creatures of habit. They appreciate a quiet life. They like to know where everything is and be left to snooze in front of a nice warm fire - unless of course they want you to entertain them!



For many cats, the sudden appearance of bright sparkly decorations, sharp-needled Christmas trees, mysterious parcels and lots of roudy visitors is not so much a case of Christmas cheer as a midwinter nightmare.



Cats can show signs of anxiety in many different ways - some will alter their routine and disappear outside for longer than usual or take up residence in a quiet room. For others, the problem is more serious and results in withdrawal from the family, aggressive behaviour, digestive upsets, disruption of litter tray training and even spraying of urine against walls, doors and furniture.



Even the most apparently laid back of cats can show subtle changes in their behaviour at times of stress.



Fortunately, there is something you can do to help your cat to cope with the festive season.

  • Maintain a regular routine for your cat. Keep feeding times the same and don't change the cat's diet at stressful times

  • Ensure that they have a safe 'bolt hole' to go to - a bed in a warm, quiet room where they can escape from visitors if they don’t wish to socialise. This is especially important if you expect visitors to bring dogs or children with them, and this is something the cat is unused to.

  • Height is especially important to cats, and they will often seek a perch somewhere high above the action where they can feel safe - the top of a bookcase or a wardrobe, for example. Try to anticipate this and clear some space for your cat to get out of the way if it wants to, without knocking a whole load of things onto the floor and frightening itself as well as annoying you.

  • Create a calm environment for your cat. Feliway is a natural product, made from the cat's facial pheromone - the scent they use to mark things as 'theirs' when they rub their faces against people they trust and objects in their home area or 'safe zone'.  For a few years now, we have been using Feliway spray in the hospital kennels, consulting rooms and in traveling boxes to help cats to relax and settle in an unusual and potentially stressful environment.  Many boarding catteries also use it for the same reason.  Now it is available as a plug-in diffuser, which can be placed in any room where the cat spends a lot of time, slowly releasing small quantities of the anti-anxiety pheromone. You won't smell anything at all, but your cat will detect the pheromone and be encouraged to feel safe and secure.  

    Click here to read more about Feliway:

     








    One plug -in lasts approximately six weeks, which should see your cat through the festive season and into a happy New Year.









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