Hmm! I think I snooze here till 2013 and ignore those noisy humits in the meantime!

And here it is me thinking that finally Xmas (or Catmas for us kitties) was finally over and all the fuss and noise and yummy...extra food was over when suddenly I've just had an epiphany and realised that there is still more to come. So this is once again a good opportunity to remind to all humits who are sharing their homes with kitties and before they get too drunk to remember anything at all that there are still a few things they need to remember to do to protect their kitties. You humits need to remember that for at least some of us, kitties, the holidays are not always that much fun as we tend to get disturbed, stressed with that all noise and with all those humits who seem to enjoy these festivities a bit too much and often us, kitties, having very few, if any, places to which we can escape during that time.

Humits you should know that the holidays put a lot of stress on everyone involved, some of it good and some of it bad. Us, kitties have to withstand any number of unusual circumstances that are unusual each year because we don't have the chance to get used to them. Such circumstances usually are:

Too many people in one place! Some friendly kitties may seem to enjoy meeting new people that adore them the majority though of us are in reality shy or fearful kitties who will see their once safe haven overrun with strangers.

Bad eating habits! One of the side benefits to all that chaos of humits gathered in the same place is the chance to sneak some snacks often...on the counter or table. This usually isn't healthy (and you know me, I won't say often that food is bad for us so to say it here it means that is really really bad). These festive days sometimes the feeding kitty schedule may get disorganized and as certain foods can also cause your kitty to have gastrointestinal upsets such as vomiting or diarrhea is best then to avoid feeding your kitty anything else than her normal food (although a bit of chicken might not do that much harm really!).

Less playtime. Don't forget humits your duties and under no circumstances stop playing with your kitties as you'll do any other time of the year! This could easily throw off our precious schedule and feeling of wellbeing,you know, by simply depriving your kitty of his/her normal exercise..very stressful! (Think about how you'd feel about it.)

Frequent shouting and yelling! Kitties like being where the action is – where their humits are that is to explore and investigate, where they are cooking or baking or even struggling to carry bags of gifts or groceries into the house. So any frequent scolding or cursing, not necessarily at your kitties but because humits sometimes can be clumsy and careless and tend to drop things...so there is no need for such bad language you know as your emotions can add to the stress level of any kitty in the house!

Finally try to avoid frequent trips as much as possible humits as us, kitties, really prefer to just sit on the the window sill to observe and to snooze. So traveling with all the family to see other family members far far away is a no no for any kitty... because it causes us a HUGE amount of stress! Also try to avoid the 'K' word, you know the kennel place...not such a good idea either as when we are being moved from home to a strange place is like a catastrophe, no matter how nice the accommodations.

So what can you do to ease the burden? Just one thing really: Stick to the normal routine! Keeping as close as you can to your kitty's normal schedule is the best antidote to holiday stress. Stay consistent with feeding times and amounts, and be on guard against illegal snacks and keep your kitty's waking, eating and playtime schedules.

Also make sure that there is at least one room in the house where the kitty can really

retreat to, equipped with all your kitty's favourite toys, a bowl full of fresh water, some food perhaps, and clothing or blankets with your scent on it and a litter tray. This gives your kitty a safe comfortable place to which he/she can retreat from the madness. Also, be extra careful around the door if you have an indoor kitty only. Make sure she doesn't sneak out during all the comings and goings of those pesky humits!!

Enjoy the rest of your festivities humits and have a great 2013 all of you kitties and your humits!