The holiday season is a joyful time for people, full of decorations, festivities, gifts, and special customs. We celebrate with lots of laughter and spend extra time with our family, friends, and food. Every year, we anxiously look forward to celebrations because they are so much fun.
Hold on though! That is how people see these significant events. Is your cat also partaking in these festivities? Probably not. Unfortunately, the holidays bring a lot of stress to your cat.
It’s well knowledge that cats hate change of any type. No of the day of the week, you always have to go about your regular business in your cat’s perfect world. However, that doesn’t really work well with human holidays. Because cats are prone to stress and anxiety, the unusual sights, sounds, and people that the holidays present can frequently make your cat miserable.
Cats and the Holiday Decorations
Even while the decorations may make you joyful, especially if they have bells and music, you made a lot of noise pulling them out. The decorations frequently have an unpleasant smell from spending the entire year packed away in the attic, and your cat thinks they don’t belong in her house. Because they don’t smell like the other things in the house, your cat might find them a little strange. The biggest transgression was placing everything in your cat’s domain and yelling at her when she tried to inspect (or even taste) it. I growl at you!
After that, may we discuss every visitor? Your cat refers to them as intruders whereas you might refer to them as friends and family. These invaders frequently enter her area in groups on specific days! There are a lot of people there, they make a lot of noise, and some of them have the nerve to tell Kitty to go when all she was doing was trying to be friendly. Other guests may keep attempting to pet your cat if she hasn’t indicated that they can do so.
She hasn’t had enough time with them to assess them thoroughly and create an opinion. It’s possible that your cat will attack these lovely people, or she may decide to hide under the bed until they depart. How would they react if a stranger barged into their house without warning and started poking around? Another hiss!
Our attention to our kitties may also suffer at this time due to all the things we have to complete in order to prepare for and then observe the holiday. Kitty is lonely and bored because she feels as though her resources—including you—are being taken away. She might even decide to paint herself a picture on the canvas using those ornaments (and get herself in trouble in the process). That’s also not fun for the kitten, so at least one more hiss is in order.
Easy ways to de-stress your cat for the holidays
What can we do to help our kitty friends de-stress so they can join in the Christmas festivities too?
Here are some simple safety measures you may take in relation to de-stress your cat for the holidays.
- Go slowly. When taking out holiday decorations from storage areas where they have been kept all year, move slowly. Bring out just a few at once, and let your cat examine them. As you start to open the boxes, let the cat investigate, sniff, and check out the contents (safely, of course). This will give your cat the sense that she has some control over the situation while also slowing down the process for you.
- Make sure Kitty has a private space. If you’re hosting a large gathering with guests arriving and departing, make a “safe space” for your cat so she can unwind. When we had a cat-sitting service, we had a client who paid one of our sitters to stay in the bedroom with his cat so that she wouldn’t be disturbed by all the noise and so that she could also get some pampering. People the cat knew would come over one at a time to say hello and give her a treat or a chin rub. In your cat’s safe haven, set up a cozy bed, a litter box, food, and water. Play some peaceful music, such as David Teie’s Music for Cats, to help keep your cat’s energy at bay (musicforcats.com). When your friends come and go, a closed door in another room can also prevent your cat from unintentionally fleeing outside.
- Display decency. If you have overnight guests, kindly ask them to refrain from chasing the cat or making attempts to coax her into interacting. Instead, allow the cat to approach them first. After the cat has had a chance to sniff their hand, they should drop a treat for them to enjoy. Simply interact with the cat more if it shows signs of appreciating the visitors’ attention.
- Present a special time frame. In the morning, before guests arrive, and in the evening, when all is quiet, spend some quality time with your cat. Spending time with you alone will stop your cat from feeling abandoned and acting out as a result. Give her a couple new toys and some delectable snacks so she may spend the season stress-free.
The holidays should be enjoyable for everyone in your home, including your cat. Making sure your cat maintains her usual stress-free demeanor will reduce your stress levels as well, enabling you and kitty to take pleasure in the occasion together.
Read more: Do Cats Like To Be Kissed?