Cats and Christmas... now there are two words which don’t quite go together without the threat of impending doom. Doom that is often categorised by moggies midway up fern trees, entangled by tinsel or pawing ferociously at the fairy lights.

Come Christmas time cat lovers everywhere cringe. “How,” they wonder, “are we going to keep Ginger from attacking the tinsel atop the curtain rail that we so carefully placed?” Good question! The horror stories are numerous, after all the allure of all those baubles and shine must be a lot for any cat to handle given their natural urge to explore.

“We have always had cats at home,” explained one friend of mine, “but one of them – Max – was particularly excitable at Christmas time, to the point where he became unmanageable. One festive season he managed to attack the turkey, destroy the Christmas tree and find himself at the vet’s with a tummy full of tinsel. It’s funny in hindsight but was a complete disaster at the time – especially as no one wanted to eat the turkey after he had climbed all over it! He’s much older now, and calmer, but there’s still a twinkle in his eye each time the Christmas tree comes out!”

So with the festive season round the corner, and with Whiskers probably already eying up your appealing decorations, try the following tips on for size and watch whether Christmas can go smoothly this year.

• Stabilise your tree as chances are you cat is going to try to get up it. Make sure that the pot is as heavy as possible and ideally laden with stones to stop it toppling over. Don’t underestimate how heavy those branches can be when weighed down with decorations – a wander cat may just tip the balance in favour of the floor.
• Avoid tinsel, sting and hooks as part of your decor as these can be very dangerous if swallowed. Keep all breakables well out of moggie’s reach.
• Candles look like fun to cats, but burnt whiskers are not. A curious nose or a wagging tail can easily swish past a candle and wreak havoc. Keep them well out of the way.
• Cats (and dogs) can become anxious at Christmas. The changes to the decor, the fact that extra people are in the house and odd alterations to their routine can be very daunting. Remember to give them lots of attention so that they don’t feel left out and angry. Keep their space untouched so that they aren’t completely disrupted by everything going on around them.