As a pet parent, you want to share family happiness with your feline family members. This means enjoying winter with your pets but also keeping them safe and comfortable so all can be happy.

Extra house guests, new foods and even innocent-looking ribbons left over from decorated presents can be tempting to cats. The best way to keep your feline happy and healthy is to take a proactive approach and follow these tips.

Understand litterbox habits

Your cat’s litterbox habits provide important insight into their overall wellness, including if they got into some fun they shouldn’t have. 

However, inspecting a litterbox is not a cheery chore. Fortunately, this is the golden age of pet tech, and keeping an eye on your cat’s litterbox habits is now as simple as opening an app.

Solutions like the Petivity™ Smart Litterbox System help pet parents better understand their cat’s health by monitoring litterbox habits. Developed by a team of Purina behaviorists, veterinarians and data scientists, the system is able to learn each cat’s unique litterbox patterns and identify subtle changes that can have big implications. 

Even small fluctuations in weight, frequency in litterbox visits and the types of elimination can be early signs of health concerns.

As with all good, smart tech, the setup is simple. Monitors are placed under a litterbox to track each cat’s data and habits. Then, if anything requires the owner’s attention, an alert is sent automatically to their phone. It’s a slick process, good to have all year round, and provides excellent insights.

Be mindful

Even after the holidays, it’s a prime time to pique a cat’s curiosity. From decadent scents and festive foods to sparkling ribbons and jingling bells—there’s a lot to attract their attention. While sharing time with your feline is fun, it’s important to be cautious.

Some potential toxic temptations, like chocolate, are already well known. But some sneakier ones also pop up this time of year. For example, lilies, amaryllis and poinsettias are popular cut flowers, but they are toxic to cats, who can be tempted to chew on them.

When possible, keep food and plants up high or away where cats can’t reach them. If a cat does eat something and you don’t see it, the litterbox monitoring system can help detect any changes and alert them to you. Then you can determine the next steps to keep your feline feeling well and have important information to share if a call to the veterinarian is in order.

Another healthy step pet parents can take is to monitor stress. If you’re hosting an event, consider offering a quiet room where cats can always retreat away from guests. This gives them a safe space to use as needed so they can rest, relax and recharge.

Keep in mind that stress on its own can potentially cause digestive issues for cats. If the duration and frequency of litterbox visits change, it’s a solid sign that Kitty could use some calm. 

In addition to quiet spaces, some love from their favorite human—you—is often welcome.

Gift proactive cat health 

Remember, the best gift you can give your cat or the cat lover in your life is the chance to be proactive about their health. Leverage smart tech, like the Petivity™ Smart Litterbox System, to monitor your cat’s litterbox habits. Also, make sure to schedule your annual checkup to keep your veterinarian in the loop about your pet’s health.