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Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. It’s a magical time of year for my whole family. Not only do we get to cool down from the blistering Texas summer heat and enjoy delicious new smells in the kitchen, we get to spend more time with each other. Even the cats!
The Fall means watching my kids take part in school activities, football playing on the TV, and ramping up for holiday gatherings. While all of this is amazing I have to be extra careful with my “girls”.
In case you didn’t know, I live in a house full of boys. It is testosterone city with my husband, two active boys, and my live-in grandfather. I am the only female unless you count my “girls” which I OF COURSE do. I have four live-in girlfriends. Girlfriends that are always there to make me smile with their antics and comfort me on bad days. My cats!
While I love Autumn it means new dangers for my cats. Here are some important health and safety tips to keep your felines going strong all season long.
Foods
Ahh, delicious foods are one of the best parts of the Fall. Seasonal desserts, candy, and savory foods come by the truckload this time of year. While we pack on the pounds, I have to make sure my “girls” don’t eat something they shouldn’t. They are all very curious and are often not too far away from all those tempting treats.
Many dinners this time of year are seasoned with extra onions and garlic which are toxic to animals. Think Thanksgiving appetizers and sides. From roasted garlic mashed potatoes to green beans with caramelized onions. The list goes on and on.
We normally serve the foods buffet style around my kitchen island before heading to the dining room table. The cats can easily jump on the island or any table for that matter and get into trouble. This is Pepper’s downfall. She HAS to be everywhere we are and inspect EVERYTHING. We swear she’s a dog at heart.
Then there’s the Halloween candy. My boys are notorious for leaving it out in random places and my cats LOVE the sound of the wrappers. That crinkling sound is just music to their ears and they HAVE to mess with it. They may not be all that interested in chocolate or candy, but those wrappers are a choking hazard. Polly, our youngest cat has a strange obsession with plastic. She loves the sound and wants to eat it. This means we have to be very careful and store candy out of her reach.
Make A Cat Safe Room
When my family comes over for gatherings that means it’s girlfriend time for the cats. We gather them all and place them in a safe room with food they can eat. Food like Purina® Muse® from Petco.
Lately, my “girls” have been chowing down on Purina Muse Charmed with Chicken dry food and Masterpieces Natural Arctic Char wet food. They literally fell in LOVE with this stuff the moment it came through the door.
When I got home from buying it, I strategically placed the food somewhere I thought the cats wouldn’t notice it and went forward putting things up. No lie, a few minutes later I hear crumpling noise and of course, it is Pepper trying to get into the bag. I swear that girl is part hound dog, but you can’t fault her for knowing something good when she sees it. TRUE STORY.
Introducing Purina Muse
Purina Muse Charmed with Chicken dry food is a perfect fall recipe for cats. It features natural chicken, egg, and pumpkin with a tad of spinach. Did I say pumpkin? Yes, I did! Cats can now join the fall pumpkin trend too. In case you didn’t know, pumpkin is a great healthy seasonal treat for cats!
I love that my cats can indulge in a seasonal fad. Plus without having chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, or soy I know they are getting the essential nutrients they need. And getting something they love – REAL chicken!
Did you know cats need a balance of wet and dry food in their diet? That’s why I also give my “girls” Purina Muse Masterpieces wet food like Natural Arctic Char. This balance is very important for your cats oral and digestive health. While dry foods help clean teeth and give cats that crunch they love wet food provides extra hydration, weight management, and a healthy balance of proteins.
Purina Muse cat food is made with natural ingredients that I feel good about giving to my “girls”. I love not having to worry about their nutrition because Purina Muse is the whole package. They get all the nutrients they need in a food that they love. And if they didn’t love it, they offer a money back Clean Plate Guarantee. It’s the best of both worlds!
Look out for a new range of Masterpieces Dry Formulas coming in February of 2018!”
House Guests And Company
Speaking of all of those holiday gatherings, it is the time where a ton of new people come and invade the house. They bring new smells, sounds, and wonderment to your cats. This change can make your cat feel anxious and scared. For us, this means Bella and Lilo.
All you have to do to remedy this is make yourself available to them just as you always have. No matter what is on the jammed packed holiday itinerary. Keep things on schedule and give them lots of extra attention.
These events can stress me out too and there’s nothing quite like being comforted by my “girls”. During events, I randomly sneak off to their girlfriend room for some quiet and play with them. It gives me time to relax and reassures them at the same time. It’s really a win, win.
Decorations
I love decorating during the holidays. Who doesn’t? This means bringing out decorations that have new and fun textures, colors, sounds, and smells. And especially if it is string-like, shiny, or makes a funny noise, you can be sure they will be right there trying to “play” with it. This usually involves swatting and trying to eat it.
If you didn’t know, cats do chew and try to eat things just like dogs do. This can lead choking and foreign body obstruction. Or even possible electrocution. Pepper and Polly have chewed through cords before. So be careful about what you choose to decorate with and stay very vigilant. Remember, the saying about cats and curiosity.
Cleaning Products
Getting ready for holiday guests also means A LOT of cleaning. I clean my house from top to bottom this time of year or anytime I have a lot of guests coming over. With cleaning, comes many potential dangers to cats who stay indoors like mine do. Cats have an amazing sense of smell and potent chemicals can be toxic to them. Even seemingly benign things can harm them.
We once had an unfortunate experience with Pepper and lemon essential oil. My son is obsessed with the scent and wanted her to smell it too. It was a horrible idea! It caused her to foam at the mouth and completely freak out. We had to give her an intense bath to get rid of any remnants of the oil. Now all essential oils and strong chemicals are kept far FAR away from the cats.
Want to try Purina Muse?
There’s a special Facebook LIVE Sampling event that will be happening next week for Purina Muse products! On Wednesday, October 18th at 9pm ET Budget Savvy Diva will be giving out free samples of Muse wet and dry food for guests to claim. Be sure to stop by, supplies are limited!
If you can’t make the event, no worries! Just head to your local Petco and check out Purina Muse there. Even your finicky cats will love you even more for it! HEALTHY + TASTY = HAPPY CATS AND HAPPY OWNERS!!
Krystle Cook – the creator of Home Jobs by MOM – put her psychology degree on a shelf and dived into a pile of diapers and dishes instead. She is a wife and mother to two rambunctious boys, sweating it out in her Texas hometown. She loves cooking, DIY home projects, and family fun activities.
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That sounds like great cat food. I will have to pick some up for my cat, Maggie.
Yes, we really enjoy it! Let us know if you try it and how you liked it!
Great tips! We also provide our cat with a safe room. It’s just my room, but the kids & dog are not allowed in there. During the day, it’s somewhere he can go where no one will bother him. Will be checking out this food for my fur baby too!
A cat safe room is a great idea! Cats are definitely touchier about certain things so a safe room would be a very helpful.
Your girls are beautiful and sound like a lot of fun. I did not know that onions and garlic were dangerous or that you have to be careful to not leave candy around. Unlike our short dog, I guess cats can get into anything.
Cats are pretty sensitive animals. They don’t produce the same liver enzyme as dogs or humans so they can easily get poisoned by things. 🙂
Awww, all of your kitties are so pretty. I’m allergic to cats, but these are still great ideas. We have a safe room for our dogs when guests come over.
Dogs need a lot of this as well! Great idea! Thank you!
Not just food, but plants and flowers can be especially toxic to cats (and other pets) during the holidays, too. Great tips! #client
You’re very right! Cats are quite sensitive and it can be quite easy when we’re busy to not realize it!
I will have to pick up some Purina Muse Masterpieces wet food for my cats. It would be a great treat for them this weekend.
I have no doubt they will love it! Let us know what they think of it!
These are wonderful tips for cat owners especially the new ones who have just adopted a lovely fur baby. It’s really important that you keep all the harmful things away from them at all times.
Yes! They’re very similar to children in that they rely on us to keep them safe.
Amazing tips! We currently have 3 cats at home and I make sure to keep them safe especially since I also have kids who leave their stuff lying around sometimes. These are good reminders for cat parents!
You sound like an amazing cat mom! Yes, kids leaving things around can definitely make issues arise!
It is so important to properly take care of your cats. I haven’t tried this brand of cat food, I give my cat raw grain free food. His hair has been so shiny and looks great.
That sounds like a very nice diet for him! I love when their fur gets that shiny.
Keeping our pets healthy is so important! I’m allergic to cats sadly but I’m going to forward this to my friends with cats!
Being allergic to cats HAS to stink. Sorry to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Your cats are so adorable and sweet! Thanks for the great tips! Very helpful. I have my own persian cat.
Ohhh, Persian cats are gorgeous. Thank you! They can be stinkers 😛
Such beautiful cats! I don’t own a cat but have lots of friends who do…I’ll be passing on your tips!
They’re a joy to have around. Thank you for sharing!
I’m not a cat person but I know how to admire adorable cats. I’ll share the tips with my cousins because they have around 8 cats in their home.
Oh wow, that’s a lot of cats! Thank you for sharing!
Your cats are so pretty ,as is your house! Thank you so much for the tips. I didn’t know about all the food hazards.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Cats can be touchy animals but they’re worth it!
Your cats are just so adorable!! And yes, I do understand how much they mean to you, which is why you always take extra care of them! Great advice on here!!
Aw, thank you for the kind words! I’m glad you found the advice useful!
Your four furry girlfriends are simply adorable. Pet are an extension of your family, so it’s important to take good care of them.
I couldn’t agree more. They’re important!
We have a room just for our cats. It has been amazing having it for them to escape to.
Yes, it not only is nice for them but it’s nice for the pet parent as well!
I’ve caught my dog rummaging through empty treat bags. I sometimes leave them out to remind myself to pickup more. It’s important to remember your pets comfort and care during the holidays. They can get stewed by all the noise and extra people.
It can be easy to forget their extra care when we’re too busy. They deserve more than that!
They are so cute! We have 2 fur girls here at our house too and it’s very important to keep hazardous stuff picked up so they can’t get into it. Cats do love to bat things around the floors so keeping everything picked up except their toys is important. Great list of things to keep them safe and happy!
I couldn’t agree more. It’s very important to pay attention just as is they were children. I would love to see your fur babies!
This cat food sounds great. I would love to see if my Cat would eat this. Thanks for sharing.
You’re more than welcome. I have no doubt your kitty will love it.
I didn’t know much about cats but I agree with the cat decorations! Haha, they fit in perfect with Halloween.
Yes, they sure do! We love it.
Such pretty kitties. We have a gray one who looks very similar. Love the snapchat? choice. 🙂
Aw, I bet your kitty is very pretty as well. Would love to see a photo!
I don’t own any cats but agree that giving healthy food for pets are important.
Yes, it’s not just for cats on that aspect. All pets need good nutrients.
We have two indoor cats and they always wake us up early in the morning for wet food. They’re the best but definitely get bossy!
Oh yes, bossiness is one of their fortes, I have no doubt. All cats seem to be good at that 😉
Love your adorable girlfriends. My sister has a cat so she might be interested in trying out purina muse. It’s great that you can manage them so well with your kids and family. And Pepper does sound like a lot of fun to be around. I love naughty kittens the quiet ones worry me.
haha They’re planning their route for taking over the world. 😉 I adore playful kitties as well.
Lilo reminds me of my favorite cat, Bustopher. He was a Russian Blue. So pretty!
I love that name! Very unique! I love Russian Blues!