Welcome to the Wednesday Cats of Catster! Every month, we ask our cat-loving Catsters to weigh in on a new topic. This week, we asked them: How do you celebrate the holidays with your furry friend? Here’s what they had to say:
Crystal & Ivy
Hi Catsters!
Happy Holidays! It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and also the most treacherous, if you have a curious, skittish, or anxious kitty!
This will be our third Christmas with Ivy, and another year of figuring out how to set up the Christmas tree so that it won’t be destroyed on the daily.
Honestly though, since our first Christmas together, she has gotten better when it comes to leaving the tree alone.
Nevertheless, as soon as the Christmas tree comes out of the cupboard, there will be some investigating to be done! But that’s just cats, right? As soon as something new and shiny appears, all attention gets directed to said object, at least for the first couple of days. But I digress.
We celebrate Christmas with Ivy by giving her what she loves most: our undivided attention, and treats!
Last year, I got her the cutest kitty biscuit advent calendar, and as you may have read in the previous Wednesday Cats of Catster segment, Ivy goes crazy for Biskitty! Their advent calendar was no different.
Also on the food note, Ivy loves a bit of chicken! Occasionally, I’ll give her some shredded, cooked, unseasoned chicken breast. After that, she will not leave me alone!
So it’s only fitting that she enjoys a bit of chicky on Christmas Eve. All of the other Christmas food gets hidden away, though! As innocent as her little face seems, she will definitely try her luck if given the chance, and I am not exactly thrilled about the idea of rushing to the vet in a state of panic if she ingests something she shouldn’t.
When it comes to the holidays, we also try to stick to our usual routines. Ivy (and many other kitties) don’t like their routines to be messed with. While this is also a time when we have off from work and have time to galavant around, we make sure not to stay away from home for too long.
New Year’s Eve brings along its own challenge: fireworks. Since we live in a complex, there are quite strict rules around setting off fireworks. But, there’s always that one person…
Each year after New Year’s Eve, I see countless social media posts of cats and dogs who have managed to escape their homes and gotten lost or injured in an attempt to escape the overwhelming sounds of fireworks.
This is why we ALWAYS celebrate New Year’s at home. Cats and loud noises seldom mix, and I would never put her in a situation where she would be alone, afraid, and possibly injure herself or get lost.
And there you have it, Catsters! Our holidays consist of togetherness, Biskitty, a bit of chicken, and lots of kitty-cuddles (when permitted, obviously).
Isabel & Milly
Every December, as the festive spirit fills the air and everyone gets ready to wind down, Milly and I prepare for what we like to call “Clawsome Christmas.” If you think cats and Christmas don’t mix, let me assure you—you’ve never met Milly.
Milly is not your average feline. While other cats might merely swat at ornaments or knock over a snow globe, Milly is a certified Christmas enthusiast. The moment the tree goes up, she’s there, inspecting every branch with the discerning eye of an interior designer. Her favorite pastime? Perching beneath the tree like a furry gift, only occasionally attempting to fight with the tinsel. (We’ve learned to tinsel-proof the lower branches.)
Christmas movie nights are another staple of our holiday season. Milly curls up on my lap, her purring synchronized to the soundtrack of Home Alone or Elf. She’s particularly fond of animated movies, though I suspect it’s less about the plot and more about the movement on the screen. Once, during a screening of The Grinch, she lunged at the screen during the roast beast scene. Clearly, she thought the Grinch had no business with that feast.
But the real highlight of our Christmas tradition is Milly’s three-course Christmas dinner. Yes, you read that right. While others may spend the day roasting turkeys or glazing hams, I’m in the kitchen preparing a feline-friendly feast. The appetizer is usually a small portion of chicken broth—warmed to perfection, of course. For the main course, Milly devours a tiny salmon filet, complete with a side of mashed sweet potato. Dessert is the pièce de résistance: a cat-safe pumpkin mousse, delicately served in a ramekin because Milly has standards.
Watching her eat is pure joy. She’ll delicately paw at her plate before diving in, as though she’s on MasterChef: Feline Edition. Afterward, she’ll stretch out on the couch, belly full, looking as smug as a cat can possibly look—which, let’s face it, is very.
Our Christmas day usually ends with Milly curled up in her Hepper Nest, while I sip hot cocoa and reflect on how lucky I am to have a holiday companion who’s equal parts mischievous and magical. Milly might not write Christmas cards or hang stockings, but she’s perfected the art of making the season bright. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
Wes & Raphy
For me, the holidays are always a bittersweet period. When the roasted vegetables have moved from the oven, to the plate, to my lips and stomach, my hunger might be satisfied and satiated, but you see, my heart is not.
That’s because I invariably have to travel for Christmas, and cannot bring Raphael. I am still of an age where staying at home is deemed “unsociable” by my family, and so I relent. Be it Hong Kong, where flights don’t allow cats, or the UK, where my family’s severe allergies prevent a cat paw from coming within metres of the place.
Poor Raphy, it is not his fault.
In a future Catster post, I will mention the sadness and difficulty of separating from Raphy at the cattery for prolonged periods. The lows, the lower, and lowest of it all.
Steph and I long for the day we are not required to venture beyond our door for the holidays and Raphael can run wild to his heart’s content, or eat as much turkey as his stomach will let him.
But alas, not yet. He has a few more visits to the cattery to do first.
Until then, we will celebrate the holidays through our mutual excitement of seeing him again!
- Read last month’s article: Favorite Things: The Wednesday Cats of Catster Weigh In
