We love large family gatherings with tons of food and socializing all day. However, our cats kind of hate it. For one of our rescued kitties, she finds the presence of a large group of people frightening and will often try to escape outside.  A little party planning for our cat goes a long way in preventing her getting lost, and sometimes she can even enjoy the party.

First, we establish a safe room. To do this yourself, put your cat’s litterbox, favourite bed and toys in a room that is unlikely to see a lot of traffic during the actual day.  If you do this the night before, your cat will have a chance to sniff around and get used to the situation before you shut her in there.  Next, make sure you get some face time with your cat as people start to arrive – your presence will be very soothing. Assign Aunt Mabel the task of stirring the gravy and spend fifteen minutes playing or snuggling with your cat. A last step, especially for very nervous kitties, is to use a pheremone product, like Feliway. The Feliway plug in is super-useful during busy holiday periods, since you don’t have to re-spray areas. Bonus: it lasts a month, carrying you from turkey day all the way through to the new year.