In this issue we feature:

1. Breaking News: Mad Cow Disease Found in the U.S.

2. Christmas Pets: Holiday Impulse Shoppers Beware!

3. Keeping the Holidays Safe for Your Pets

4. Flower Essence Series -- Clematis

Feline Behavior Solutions! Little Big Cat does in-home consultations on feline behavior and health issues in the Colorado Front Range area, and telephone consultations outside the region. Call (303) 386-3148 for an appointment.

1. Breaking News: Mad Cow Disease Found in the U.S.

How will this affect your cat (or other pet)? Read the new article in our free library, Mad Cow Disease and Your Pets.

2. Christmas Pets: Holiday Impulse Shoppers Beware!

It's the season for giving, and we all have good intentions when shopping for truly special gifts for our loved ones. Sometimes, we have visions of them opening a beautiful box with an adorable kitten inside, or of covering their eyes and leading them into a room where a puppy or a cat wearing a big bow is waiting. We aren't to blame—we have these very images of holiday serenity lingering from our own childhood. With a pet, it seems we can give the gift of unconditional love, especially to a child.

Now, here's a dose of reality: in years spent working in animal shelters, we noticed a significant spike in animal surrenders right after the holiday season. The happy surprise became just a surprise—not necessarily a pleasant one—for all concerned, and the solution to the problem for many families is to get rid of the unwanted pet. What are the factors?

• The one presented with the "gift" didn't want an extra commitment (average 15 years) in an already-busy life, or a household member had an allergy where short-term exposure was not problematic, but the person could not live with a pet.
• Some children, especially those not exposed to animals previously, became frightened of the strange new creature, and in turn spooked pet, which created an air of distrust for all involved. Although the previous guardian's paperwork might say that the pet was good with their kids, their actual socialization might not have included what the next child wanted from a pet when they begged for a live Christmas present (playing dress-up, putting in a stroller, etc.).
• Resident animals in the home also got the short end of the stick. If any significant holiday activity was going on in the home, i.e., family staying over, holiday parties, etc., resident pets (especially cats) were already having tough time adapting their sense of "stable-sameness" to the unusual activities. Now throw in another animal, especially of the same species, and—more often than not—disaster is imminent. Once again, the paperwork at the shelter may have assured the adoptive family that the new pet would play well with others, but this assumes ideal conditions, which the holidays do not provide.

Now that we've outlined the reasons why you shouldn't surprise family and other loved ones with animals as gifts, there are ways to bring four-legged love home for the holidays without such risk.

Many animal shelters have gift certificates you can buy to place in a box instead of an animal. (You won't have to poke air holes in the box either!) These generally cover the cost of adoption, and you may be able to add the cost of basic supplies such as a collar, leash, brush, bowl, or litterbox. If your local shelter doesn't offer gift certificates, make one yourself. That way, the next day or next week, your loved one is off to find a new companion.

Nowadays, many shelters have websites with pictures of their adoptable animals, so the whole family can go online and check out the choices. There is also empowerment in a child in going to a shelter and picking out his or her own companion. It's also a perfect time to let them know that caring for a living thing requires responsibility. It's never too early to instill the concept of stewardship.

It is essential to introduce everyone who lives in the home, from children to housemates to other pets, to the new pet before adoption. In fact, many shelters require this. There's nothing to lose, but important lessons to gain. For instance, the adoptive family may discover that the dog requires a bit more training in the "down-stay" so that he or she doesn't relentlessly pursue the new addition. A housemate's allergy may or may not act up in the presence of specific animals.

This method also allows time to prepare the home itself before bringing a new pet in. See our article about setting up a "base camp," which will be on our site before Christmas.

Remember, no surprises are good surprises when it comes to animals this holiday season. Have a great one, and congratulations to all of you who will adopt and bring a homeless pet into your heart and home!

Check out our Bookstore for in-depth publications on many feline health and behavior topics!Titles include Feline Diabetes, Allergies to Cats, What Cats Should Eat, Fat Cats, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, What's Play Got to Do With It?, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Interpreting Lab Values, Introducing Your Cat to Your New Baby, and Moving: Making a Smooth Transition with Your Cat.

2. Keeping the Holidays Safe for Your Pets

The holidays can be a stressful and even dangerous time for small furry critters like our cats. The routines are upset, visitors abound, and tempting smells are coming from the kitchen!

The Christmas tree is the first item of great interest on your cat's Santa list. Many cats find it irresistibly tempting to climb. First, make sure your tree is in a sturdy stand. (A McPherson Christmas card this year shows a cat and two women gazing at a decorated tree tightly guy-wired to the walls and ceiling; the caption says, "No chance of the cat knocking over the tree this year.")

Keep glass ornaments to a minimum if you must use them at all, and place them higher on the tree with unbreakable ornaments lower down. A broken glass ornament is a minefield for tender little kitty feet. If a pet eats all or part of a glass ornament, immediately feed cotton balls or bread soaked in milk or cream; the soft mushy texture will gather up all the sharp pieces and safely expel them.

Most tree stands have a water container—this is another hazard. Aromatic compounds from the tree itself and the chemicals often added to the water are highly toxic to cats; make sure the container is wrapped and taped or otherwise made inaccessible to your feline (and canine!) friends, who will often try to drink from this novel water source.

Christmas lights and wires on the tree and around the home are an invitation to chew for both cats and dogs. For wires that are easily accessible to curious teeth (especially young animals), run them through inexpensive foam pipe insulators that you can find at any home improvement or hardware store.

Metal tinsel is rare these days, but mylar can also pose a swallowing hazard. Its sharp edges can cause serious damage to a cat's intestines. Consider a beaded garland instead. Also, when unwrapping presents, make sure all ribbon and string is safely disposed.

Parties and visitors increase the risk of a cat slipping out through an open door; make sure all your pets are microchipped and wearing collars and ID tags. It's wise to provide a "base camp" for your cat that includes food, water, bed, scratching post, and litterbox, in a room that's less likely to be disturbed. No decorations in that room, please, especially lit candles! (Of course, unattended burning candles are a serious hazard any time of year!)

Take it easy on the treats. Too many fatty treats like turkey skin or ham can cause serious tummy upset; in dogs especially, these can trigger life-threatening pancreatitis. Ask dinner guests to refrain from feeding "under the table"—or even better, keep pets safely confined during the festivities. Chocolate, of course, is toxic to both dogs and cats.

A little extra care and attention will make this holiday season a safe and happy one for the whole family!

See us at "Cat Chat" on Saturdays! These "mini-sessions" cost only $10 per 15 minutes, and include an audio tape of the session that you can review later at home. No appointment necessary—just come on down! Mini-sessions also available by phone at Cat Chat locations and hours.

See the Little Big Cat Events Calendar for dates, times, and locations and a complete schedule of all our chats, workshops, and classes. Check back often -- classes will be starting up again in January.

3. Flower Essence Series – Clematis

This is the eighth in an ongoing series of articles on the Bach flower essences. We will be looking at each essence in turn, and its special indications in cats. This month the featured flower is Clematis.

Clematis is a beautiful flowering vine that has been cultivated in Asia for hundreds of years. Its popularity spread to Europe during the 16th century. Clematis was also found as a native plant in North America by 18th century explorers. Its blooms range from white, pink, and blue to many shades of purple.

Dr. Edward Bach put Clematis in the group of flowers for "not sufficient interest in present circumstances." He said that the Clematis people are "dreamy, drowsy, not fully awake, no great interest in life...not really happy in their present circumstances, living more in the future than the present…In illness some make little or no effort to get well."

Clematis's keynote is alertness; it helps to restore focus and presence. As such, it is useful when working with cats to teach them new behaviors, such as using the scratching post instead of the sofa.

For show cats, Clematis can help the cat stay tuned in to its environment, and look bright and alert for the judge. Clematis is part of SpiritEssence's "Feline Training" and "Feline Performance" remedies.

Clematis is one of the five flowers in Rescue Remedy, in which it works to revive and restore consciousness in shocky or comatose animals.

Occasionally, a very spacey cat will be so inattentive to its surroundings that it will lean too far or roll over and fall off the windowsill or other high napping spot; Clematis is appropriate for this type of situation.

Clematis can also be used for ill animals who seem to have given up, or animals who are not really engaging in life.

Little Big Cat is proud to be the exclusive distributor of SpiritEssence flower remedy formulas. Visit SpiritEssence for more details on the history, development, and uses of essences, as well as what makes SpiritEssence so different and unique from any other essences. Don't forget to check out SpiritEssences for Cats!

Please visit our web site www.littlebigcat.com regularly to find out what's new, read our monthly Newsletter and see the new material that is constantly added to our Free Article Library and our Bookstore! Past issues of the CatsWalk Newsletter can be found in the Newsletter Archive.

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to your cat-loving friends! If you received this from a friend, you can sign up for your very own subscription at www.littlebigcat.com! Subscribers are also entitled to receive updates and announcements of interest to our members.

Your feedback is very welcome! Please contact us at info@littlebigcat.com with your comments.

If you no longer wish to receive CatsWalk, please email us at: newsletter@littlebigcat.com and mention 'unsubscribe' in the subject line.