8 WAYS TO KEEP THE HOLIDAYS STRESS FREE FOR YOUR CAT

With thoughtful preparation، your home can be a happy place for your cat during the holidays، whether you celebrate Christmas، Hanukkah، Kwanzaa، or another special occasion. These eight tips can help you make sure the holidays are stress-free for your cat.

1. A Cat-Proof Christmas Tree

Let's start with the Christmas tree and your holiday decorations. You want to be extra careful with cats and Christmas trees. Take the necessary measures to cat-proof your tree، since fake snow، tree water، and tinsel can be dangerous to cats.

Secure the tree: One of the easiest ways to prevent your tree from tipping over is to make sure it's on a solid base and secure it to a wall. Hang fragile decorations up high، out of your cat's reach. But since cats can climb، you might want to display your most precious keepsakes elsewhere. Use string to hang shatterproof ornaments instead of hooks which can hurt your cat.

Tinsel: Avoid decorating the tree with tinsel، which can injure your cat if he eats it. Try felt، paper، or wood decorations instead. Spray the tree with a scent cats don't like، like citrus or apple cider vinegar.

Lights: Don't leave electrical cords and wires exposed because your cat can chew on them. And be sure to turn off the lights when you leave.

Tree Water: If you have a live tree، cover the water reservoir with a tree skirt to prevent your cat from drinking it. Even if you're not using a chemical additive in the water، the debris from the tree entering the water can make your cat sick.

Pine needles: Try to keep your cat away from prickly pine needles. Not only are they sharp، but some varieties can be toxic. If ingested they can cause a blockage that could require surgery. For this reason، you might consider an artificial tree or a tree that is mostly branches and decorate it with cat-safe، shatterproof ornaments.