Cats & Christmas

There are many reasons for cats to get stressed around Christmas time.

Make sure you and your family are aware of the risks to your cat, so everyone can have a safe and happy Christmas!

ARTICLE BY: Dr Katrina Ward, Animal Behavioural Consultant / katrinaward.com.au

Cats love predictability in their environment.

This can quickly be destabilised around Christmas with holidays meaning there may be more people around the house during the day and potentially less around at night with all those social events on the calendar.

Routines may be disrupted, there may be strangers in the house and there may be the introduction of new objects (Christmas trees, presents, new furniture etc.) which could either give your cat a great thrill (some do like the buzz of a bit of healthy stress and change) but others might find it all a bit overwhelming… or even downright horrible.

It is important that you are able to recognise the signs of stress so that you can jump in and help your cat if needed.

Signs of acute stress include:

• Urination, defecation, diarrhoea
• Vocalising or hissing
• Hiding
• Dilated pupils, wide eyes
• Urine spraying (males and females, even if desexed)
• Trembling
• Rapid breathing
• Flattened ears
• Tucked tail, or close to body
• Profound salivation
• Displacement activities (normal behaviours seen in an abnormal context, such as grooming the moment a new item of furniture is brought into the room)
• Aggression.

If your cat is really feeling unable to cope for a long period of time there will be behavioural changes as well as physiological changes. Chronic stress is not a good state to be in as it can also lead to medical
conditions due to malfunction of the immune system.

Signs of chronic stress include:

• Apathy (no longer seeking pleasure-inducing behaviour such as playing, exploration)
• Eating – increase or decrease
• Grooming – increase or decrease
• Hiding, withdrawing
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Increased susceptibility to infections, viruses
• Feline Ideopathic Cystitis (causing increased need to urinate, pain on urination, blood in the urine and sometimes blockage)
• Pancreatitis
• Repetitive or stereotypic behaviours (such as hair pulling, overgrooming)
• Marking (urine spraying)
• Aggression.

Christmas time also presents physical dangers to cats.

Tinsel is highly attractive to cats given the sparkle and wiggling action but it does have the potential to strangle or choke the inquisitive cat.

In fact, the whole Christmas tree is a giant play gym covered in attractive baubles. Climbing it runs the risk of causing it to topple over, plus cats easily get caught in all the cords and lights.

Electric cords supplying the Xmas tree run the risk of being chewed and giving electric shock.

If your cat is particularly inquisitive or food-driven, be careful they cannot access gifts which might be harmful (for example, eating treats with xylitol, grapes/raisins, or chocolates).

Even your attempts to decorate your home with flowers such as the Christmas Lily ought to be done judiciously. The pollen from Asiatic lilies is poisonous to cats and can cause kidney failure.

Visiting dogs and children can be very fear-inducing for cats that have not been socialised to them and your cat could become aggressive towards them.

Measures to take to improve the wellbeing of your cat:

Continue predictability and routine (as far as your cat is concerned… e.g. feeding time, playing, smooching etc.).

Make sure access to vital areas is ensured despite your hospitality demands e.g. ensure your cat has free and easy access to the litter tray, food bowl, an established sleeping area, play area and scratching area.

Ensure your cat can escape safely when it feels overwhelmed – they love to hide in boxes, perch up high etc.

If you are worried your cat might be the type to tackle the Christmas tree, then prevent access! Do not punish your cat for investigating things that it finds irresistible. Play pens, child gates etc. are simple ways to reduce access – but make sure your cat can’t fit through or jump over.

Don’t forget to give your cat some play time. They will appreciate the individual attention.

Be patient and gentle, do not force your cat to interact with things or people it is afraid of.

Avoid using punishment if your cat does show aggression or urinates outside of the litter tray.

Punishment usually escalates aggressive behaviour. So if this is a problem, just usher the cat to a safe place to cool down.

Punishment also fails to teach the cat what you want it to do, can ruin your relationship with your cat and can unfortunately escalate out of frustration.
If you are worried about your cat it is also appropriate to seek veterinary advice to rule out medical conditions. You might also need to talk about other options to help reduce stress, such as Feliway (a synthetic copy of the pheromone which cats secrete when they rub their cheeks on furniture etc.), Zylkene (a food supplement which contains a calming protein from milk), or anxiolytic medication.

The best plan is to plan ahead and remember to keep your cat’s needs in mind before the silly season sets in!