You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as
bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to nancy@cat-urine-odor-advisor.comThe annual holidays can be a very stressful time for your cat. This is time of year when that strange tree goes up, bright trinkets are hung (but all your cat hears is “No, no, bad kitty!” when she tries to explore them), delicious food is prepared (cats need not apply to eat it!), and lots of strange people come tramping into house.
Some cats are in their glory, being in middle of tree decoration tradition, while others react to differences in household by cowering in fear. Plus, if holidays stress you out (raise your hand if they don’t; rest of us would like to know your secret), it’ll be communicated to kitty, and she may react in kind. And sometimes that fear and stress manifests itself in your cat urinating outside her litter box.
Here are three steps you can do to reduce holiday stress for your cat.
First, keep household changes to a minimum. Think about where you might put Christmas tree. If you put tree in a place that normally belongs to kitty, she could be mighty upset with you. Her reaction could range from hiding for days to urinating underneath tree, if not trying to pull it down. Look for a location that pleases both human and animal population in your house. If that’s not possible, and knowing how cats can be, you’ll have to settle for pleasing one or other. My bet is it’s whoever pays bills.
