Did you know that many Vet visits these holidays are completely avoidable? We asked our Vets for their best tips to prevent illness and keep your cat safe this holiday season.
Here’s our top 6 tips, so you can keep them safer:
- Cat safe food, only.
Many foods are toxic to cats, and there’s no greater risk than at this time of year. Feed your cat a good quality fully balanced diet and avoid those foods that are toxic, such as: chocolate, sultanas, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, alcohol (present in mince pies, plum pudding, christmas cake, sweet platters, stuffing for meats, and fruit platters). If these are reachable to your cat – i.e a low table – they may get eaten. - Limit treats.
Best tip is to limit treats to make up no more than 10% of their diet. Overindulging cats with treats that are rich and high in fat (such as barbeque meats, ham etc) can lead to gut pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and even cause pancreatitis (which can be deadly). A diet too high in treats will also negatively affect the nutritional balance of the overall diet. - Be storm and fireworks ready.
Have a mental health plan for anxious cats – loud noises such as thunder and fireworks are a common source of anxiety. If your pet is affected by anxiety you need to make sure they are secure in the home and that they have a safe space they can retreat to and hide for comfort. Chat to a Vet for a plan that suits your pet’s individual needs. - Avoid ribbon on presents.
Cats and kittens love to play with ribbon and string and if eaten these can cause an obstruction of the gut requiring surgery. - Christmas tree safety.
Tree disasters are responsible for injuries to cats every year. Minimise the risk with plastic cover around the electric cord of the lights (to minimise the risk of electrocution from chewing tree lights), use plastic or non-breakable decorations, avoid tinsel (acts like ribbon) and secure the tree so that it won’t be easily pushed over. - Microchip up to date. Make sure your pet’s microchip details are updated (always). An incorrect phone number or address will result in more time away from your pet when lost.
