With thoughtful preparation, you can make your home a pleasant place for your cat throughout the holidays. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or other events, these tips can help your cat feel less fuzzy around all the festivities.
Calm Guest Introductions
When guests are at your home, constantly let your cat choose whether they would want to engage with them. If a visitor suddenly pets your cat, it may be threatening or frightening for them. Allow your floof to set the pace for visitor interactions. Let any communication be on your cat's terms.
Use Calming Diffusers To Help Calm Your Cat
Cats use pheromones to help them feel calm. It will be helpful to use them to help your cat deal with all the changes and activities in your home during the holidays. Instead of fretting about visitors walking through the front door or whether holiday decors will make your cat frantic, you can help your cal your cat by using pheromones. Just plug the calming diffuser a few days before the festivities start, so it has time to take effect.
Create a Safe Space for Your Cat
Keep your cat calm through these steps:
- Create a place where your cat will feel comfortable and safe. Make sure this area is secluded from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
- If you don't have a spare room ready, put their cat tree in the bedroom, or use a makeshift tent to give them space and privacy.
- Spray the space with calming pheromones to make it inviting. If you have a kitten, a heated bed with a cushion will help them relax.
You may need to restrict your cat in a room (like a bedroom) with the door shut. You must have all the essentials (food, water, a litter box, toys, and a bed) so your cat can retreat when the living room gets too overwhelming.
Keep Noise and Smells in Check
When looking at our homes, we tend to be highly aesthetic, while cats, with their much sharper noses and ears, are more worried about odors and noise. This means scents and sounds you find pleasant or barely noticeable can overwhelm your feline friends.
The diffusers, essential oils, and perfumed candles can annoy cats. These can additionally interfere with the one odor cats generally love: their own. Do not wash all your cat beds on the same day, and avoid exceptionally perfumed detergents and cleansing products. Suppose you can't give up your mountain glade sprays and sandalwood candle lights, reserve rooms where your felines can leave these nuisances. This might be an extra space devoid of artificial fragrances and loud electronic and human noises.
Your Attention Goes A Long Way
Brushing, stroking, or simply spending extra time with your cat, even if just a couple of mins occasionally in the middle of all the commotion, can help lessen tension in them. Your cat loves you, and the more time you spend together, the more confident, they will feel.
Predictability Is Key
Cats are creatures of habit, and if something in their predictable timetable changes, it can trigger stress and anxiety. This can be true for cats fed at particular times of the day. If your feeding routines will change, get a timed feeder that dispenses food when your cat expects it. Try not to change your routines too much. Play at the same time you play, and cuddle simultaneously.
When holiday festivities are over, and the guests have said goodbye, do not forget to your cat and appreciate a couple of fantastic holiday minutes together. The holidays are for everyone, including our cats!
