Cat Tip # 4 by Darlene Arden
by Darlene Arden
Cat Tip # 4
The holidays are upon us, and what loving pet owner isn’t thinking about including their cat in the festivities? Gift-giving isn’t limited to humans. There are wonderful gifts available for your feline friend but while you’re choosing, remember that you have to buy with safety in mind. There’s no governing body overseeing pet toy safety so it’s your responsibility to look at everything very carefully.
You should know by now that interactive wand toys need to be put away between play sessions so your kitty doesn’t get tangled up in the string. Wand toys with shiny mylar strips are to be avoided. Sure they look good but this isn’t the time to be fashion-forward. Mylar strips can sometimes catch on the cat’s mouth and cause the equivalent of tiny paper cuts. OUCH!
Tinsel, string and thread can be lethal. Remember that once a cat begins to swallow, he can’t stop and you can end up with a very big veterinary bill or worse: a dead cat. A friend’s cat recently swallowed something that nearly killed him. After several expensive days in the emergency hospital he finally passed a bracelet that didn’t look familiar. And why should it? She had her own things out of reach. A neighbor’s child had been visiting and lost it. Sadly, the cat found it and it cut up his intestines pretty badly. Thankfully, he survived but it was touch and go for awhile.
Be certain that there are no removable parts in any toy you select.
If you’re planning to get your kitty a cat tree remember to get one with a heavy, solid base. This is no time to scrimp. You are buying a piece of furniture and you don’t want this piece of furniture to tip over while your cat is on it or using the scratching post part of it. And speaking of scratching posts, be sure the one you buy for your cat is tall enough for kitty to stretch full-length, as she would against a tree. And that, too, should be solidly based so it won’t tip.
Always supervise your kitty the first time he plays with a new toy, just to be on the safe side.
With a little thought and some care, you can find exactly the right gifts for your kitty this holiday season. Happy Holidays to you and your four-legged friends!
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Darlene Arden is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant, a member of The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, The American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians (even though she is not a veterinarian), a World Canine Freestyle Organization Judge, Referee and Executive Advisory Board Member, as well as a member of the Dog Writer’s Association of America, Inc., and the World Dog Press Association, Cat Writers Association and Boston Authors Club. She is a learning facilitator at Kutztown University’s Canine Training & Management Program. An internationally recognized expert on behavior, training, and the wellness of dogs. She is the author of Rover, Get Off Her Leg!, The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventive Care for Dogs, The Irrepressible Toy Dog, and Small Dogs, Big Hearts. You can find her on the web at: http://www.darlenearden.com.
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