Pets

As a crazy cat lady, I’d be pretty disappointed if I didn’t receive something related to cats on Christmas day. I mean, it’s a truth universally known that I LOVE cats – so much so that even my cat gets Christmas presents.

So from one mad cat person to another, here’s my favourite cat products I would love to unwrap on Christmas morning.

1. Cat nip*

What cat owner doesn’t like to see their favourite feline strung out on the nip? But cats don’t just crave any ol’nip – it’s got to be the high grade stuff.

Mick was recently sent this organic cat nip mouse from Beauty Naturals – one of the UK’s longest running natural beauty companies.

As you can see, he most definitely approves:

Mick has been pawing this ever since I opened it and it’s now his most prized toy. I’ll definitely be getting one of these again as I’ve never seen him play with a toy for this long before.

2. Cat Laser Pen*

Cats love chasing that red dot. But this red dot has a seasonal twist: a snowman, a Christmas tree, a star, festive bells and candy canes.

Rosewood pets kindly sent this over to give Mick a break from chasing around a plain old laser pen dot. He treated it the same way he would any other laser pen – attempted to catch it and kill it. The fun part for the owner is taking great satisfaction in knowing that their cat will never catch the red dot. Oh, and the pretty Christmas laser lights.

3. Cat bed

I really like this cosy cat face dome bed from Not on the High Street. If their cat isn’t as large as mine, it should fit inside comfortably.

4. Cat shoes

Pretty much any of these cute kitten heels from T.U.K

Must resist urge to buy all of these…

5. Cat Jewellery

Cat people generally make their love of cats known for all the world to see. This large cat face mask necklace is another way for them to make their love of cats obvious:

Or you can get it in this leopard print gold colour:

 

6. Cat Art

More cat art to adorn their walls? Why not. Here are my top picks from Etsy:

Black cat with flowers:

Ginger cat king:

Behemoth the Cat:

7. Cat Socks

It wouldn’t be a Christmas gift guide without socks… personally I love these from Studio Hop from Not on the High Street:

8. Cat Clothing

I love this black Cat A Fore denim dress. It’a all about those ears:

9. Cat Bag

I love Skinny Dip bags and they’ve got an exclusive waving cat bag on ASOS that I need in my life.

10. Cat Renaissance Ruff Neck

You can buy a silly renaissance ruff neck for kitty and make them look like a sixteenth century painting.

11. Poopy Cat Block Tower*

Mick was kindly sent a new toy to play with. A Poopy Cat Blocks Playhouse Tower:

Mick asked me if I could help set it all up for him (which I did), and an hour later we finally had something that resembled the pictures:

I think I enjoyed making it more than watching Mick pounce all over it. There’s loads of different shapes and constructions you can create from the blocks and you simply join them together using a card slotting technique. Everything is literally made from card yet it’s incredibly sturdy.

Mick liked jumping on the bridge and hiding in the boxes. He got stuck a couple of times which reminded me that he needs to go on a diet/the mad woman down the street needs to stop feeding him:

What will you be getting your crazy cat friends this Christmas? Do you buy for the owners or the cat?

*disclaimer – anything marked with a * was gifted. All opinions are my own.

With warmer temperatures coming our way, it’s likely you and your pets will be spending more time outdoors. But did you know that your garden might contain plants that could poison your pet?

According to MORE TH>N, 78% of British gardens contain plants that are toxic to cats and dogs. I admit it, even I didn’t know all of the plants that are toxic to cats and dogs. And I’m not alone; one in every three pet owners (31%) admitting they have no idea if the plants and flowers in their gardens are toxic.

That’s why MORE TH>N Pet Insurance has set up their Pet Safe Plant Campaign; a campaign which is raising awareness to the clear and present dangers that lurk in your garden and homes. They are directly campaigning for plant producers, manufacturers of garden products and retailers to provide clearer labelling to help pet owners easily identify if items are safe or harmful to cats and dogs.

As a pet owner, I’m sure you’re with me on wanting to help protect your precious fur babies from being poisoned – and worse still,  from death. MORE TH>N has enlisted the help of a number of famous faces to help to promote the campaign, like Charlie Dimmock and this year’s RHS Gold Winner, Ian Drummond, who has made a rather unusual creation called the Poisonous Pawtanical Garden, to try to hammer home which plants could potentially kill your pets.

The creation of the world’s most dangerous garden to cats and dogs

To kick start the campaign, MORE TH>N has commission the RHS Gold medal winner, Ian Drummond to create the world’s most dangerous garden to cats and dogs.

Launched at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London at the beginning of June, the garden will be taken to different locations throughout the capital by the charity Core Landscapes – so look out for it coming to a town near you!

I had no idea that some of the flowers planted in the poisonous garden could be toxic to my cat. I’m ashamed to admit that I have one of them in full bloom in my garden! And sadly, I’m not alone. According to research, Almost 10% of cats and dogs have ingested poisonous plants or flowers. Of those, 43% subsequently needed urgent veterinary care, while 15% sadly passed away. It’s a painful statistic but something that could be avoided if green fingered pet owners were more aware of.

So which plants are the most dangerous to cats and dogs?

A few of the plants in the poisonous garden include: Begonia, Buxus Pyramiden, Chrysanthemum, Clematis, Cordyline, Daisy, Dahlia, Elderberry, Foxglove, Grape plant, Hydrangea, Hedera Ivy, Lilies (variety), Cherry Laurel, Marigold, Nerium Oleander, Paeonia mix, Papaver Poppy, Tomato plant and Wisteria.

But if you’re particularly concerned here’s a summary list I pulled from MORE TH>N’s website which cites the common toxic plants to avoid in the garden:

PLANT NAME	POISONOUS FOR CATS	POISONOUS FOR DOGS
ALOE VERA	✔	✔
AMARYLLIS (BULBS)	✔	✔
ANGELS TRUMPET (BRUGMANSIA)	✔	✔
APPLE (SEEDS)	✔	✔
APRICOTS (KERNELS)	✔	✔
ASPARAGUS FERN	✔	✔
AVOCADO (FRUIT, PITH, LEAVES)	✔	✔
AZALEA (ALL PARTS)	Rare	✔
BABY’S BREATH	✔	✔
BEGONIA	✔	✔
BIRD OF PARADISE (PODS)	✔	✔
BISHOP’S WEED	✔	✔
BLEEDING HEART (DICENTRA FORMOSA)	✔	✔
BLUEBELL	✔	✔
BUXUS / BOX (ALL PARTS, MOSTLY LEAVES)	✔	✔
CARNATION	✔	✔
CLEMATIS (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
CORDYLINE (GRASS PALM)	✔	✔
CROCUS (ALL)	✔	✔
CHRYSANTHEMUM (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
CYCLAMEN (FOLIAGE, FLOWERS, STEMS)	✔	✔
DAFFODIL (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
DAISY	✔	✔
DAHLIA	✔	✔
DAPHNE (BERRIES, BARK, LEAVES)	✔	✔
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE	✔	✔
DELPHINIUM (ALL PARTS ESPECIALLY THE SPROUTS)	✔	✔
ELEPHANTS EARS (LEAVES, STEMS, ROOTS)	✔	✔
ELDERBERRY (LEAVES, BARK, ROOTS AND BUDS)	✔	✔
EUCALYPTUS (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
FOXGLOVE / DIGITALIS (LEAVES, STEMS, FLOWERS, SEEDS)	✔	✔
GARLIC	✔	✔
GARDENIA	✔	✔
GERANIUM (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
GLADIOLA (BULBS)	✔	✔
GRAPE PLANT/VINE	N/a	✔
HELLEBORE	✔	✔
HIBISCUS	✔	✔
HOLLY (LEAVES, BERRIES & STEMS)	✔	Rare
HOSTA	Rare	✔
HYACINTH (BULBS, LEAVES, FLOWERS)	✔	✔
HYDRANGEA (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
IRIS (BULBS)	✔	✔
IVY (ALL SPECIES – LEAVES, BERRIES)	Rare	✔
JAPANESE YEW (NEEDLES, SEEDS, BARK)	Rare	✔
LABURNUM (LEAVES AND SEEDS)	✔	✔
LARKSPUR (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
LILLIES (ALL PARTS)	✔	N/a
LIME	✔	✔
LILY OF THE VALLEY (ALL PARTS)	✔	✔
LEOPARD LILY	N/a	✔
LOBELIA	✔	✔
LUPIN (ALL PARTS)	Rare	Rare
MALLOW	✔	✔
MARIGOLD (NEW LEAVES, STEMS)	✔	✔
MISTLETOE	✔	✔
MONKSHOOD/ ACONITE (ROOTS, FOLIAGE, SEEDS)	✔	✔
MORNING GLORY (ALL PARTS)

What could happen to pets if these plants are ingested?

According to vet and consultant on the garden, Robert White-Adams, “As a nation of animal lovers we’ll do anything to not put our pets at harm. What this campaign reveals is the hidden dangers many of us wouldn’t even be aware of. Each plant has been chosen to show just how many common varieties can make our pets ill, or worse still, die if not treated immediately by a vet.”

What can you do to stop pets from being poisoned?

Firstly, check the summary list above to see if you have any of these plants in your home or garden. I also recommend taking this list with you when you go to buy seeds.

And finally, if you want to raise further awareness to stop more unsuspecting owners from loosing their pets, why not share the video and this list on your own blog.

Thanks for reading.