Help Your Cat With Stress for the Holidays

The holiday season is a happy time full of family, fun and decorations. While many of us look forward to this season all year long it can be a stressful and overwhelming time for our feline family members. Not only are there often many visitors at this time of the year but those decorations are just so sparkly and irresistible to most cats. The decorations, like Christmas tree ornaments, lights, tinsel, foods and more, can also be a concern for possibly life threatening injuries and illness. Thankfully there are some options that can be fun for your pet and helpful to keep them out of hiding and out of trouble.

Environmental Enrichment to Destress Cats

Environmental enrichment is something that keeps your cat engaged and entertained. This is a great idea in everyday life for all pets but this time of year it can be a real life saver. Some simple ideas are treat toys. These toys come in many shapes, sizes and complexity levels. These can be filled with treats or even your regular cat food. They can keep cats busy for minutes or hours depending on the cat and toy. Some people even use these to feed their cats meals as that can get out a lot of energy and is mentally stimulating for them. Below we have added some photos of different treat/food toys we recommend.

If your cat is not motivated by food, then you may want to consider creating a toy box to help occupy your cat’s free time. These toys can range from interactive toys to simple mice or balls. If you opt for the plush toys then you may want to even take them up a notch by “marinating” them in catnip! This is simple and can be done using any container or sealable bag you have around the house. Simply throw the desired toys in container, sprinkle in catnip and let sit until you’re ready to use them.

Another option for keeping your cat out of trouble is creating an area for them to play and hang out that is desirable for you both. This can be done by placing beds, cat trees, blankets, toys or other things the cat prefers in the desired area. A few sprinkles of catnip around this location can entice them to go to and stay in this area as well.

Pheromones to Destress Cats

The addition of pheromones to the environment can also make a large difference in a cat’s behavior and stress. These pheromones promote feelings of happiness and harmony. These pheromones come in several different forms but the most common one for cats is Feliway. The most common one used is a wall plug in diffuser, this works for a room of about 800 sq feet and you can always combine several in different rooms to create a whole home coverage. Another option is spray that can be applied directly to toys and bedding as needed and can be used to supplement the wall diffusers. The last option is wipes that can be used on carriers, beds, cat trees, furniture, etc. and can be used in addition to the other forms if needed to alleviate short term stress.

Natural Supplements to Destress Cats

Zylkene is an all natural supplement that is a milk protein that has calming properties. Zylkene comes in a capsule form that can be given whole or opened and sprinkled on the food. This works best when given a couple days before the stress begins and can be given a few days after to keep them from experiencing any stress. This supplement is considered to be very safe and can be given to pets of all ages.

Each pet is different and you can adjust these ideas to fit your pet’s individual needs and desires. Just remember that a busy pet is a pet that isn’t into trouble!

We wish you a happy and safe holiday season.