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Meezer Musings: November 2022
A Merry Meezer Christmas!
Season's Greetings! I usually send out November's Meezer Musings at Thanksgiving, but the holiday fell early this year so I'm a little later than usual. I hope all our American friends enjoyed a happy and peaceful weekend with your loved ones.
As well as being a time of gratitude and thanks for the blessings of the year, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season as we move into December and towards Christmas and the New Year.
As usual, November's Meezer Musings celebrates the work of artists, designers and crafters who create Siamese-themed gifts and other goodies. Mindful of rising prices and budget squeezes, though, I've kept things low key this year.
Last month I mentioned Suzanne Le Good's 2023 Siamese art calendar, and that together with others can be found on our Siamese Cat Calendars page.
Let's begin November's Meezer Musings
with one of Suzanne's sparkly Christmas cards.
A Seasonal Public Service Announcement
Before going further, though ...
I always used to include a seasonal 'Topical Tips' feature in the newsletter at this time of year, but haven't done so for a couple of years.
Shortly after I sent out October's Meezer Musings (which was about potential hazards in the home) I was contacted by Janice in the USA who asked me to highlight a number of potentially dangerous items that we often have around the house at Christmas, including mistletoe, tinsel, glass ornaments, hooks, garlands and twist ties.
So here are our Topical Tips for the holiday season, including Janice's reminders (many thanks, Janice!) Please stay safe while you celebrate.
Topical Tips for the Holidays
- Trees. Make sure your tree is securely fastened. I've seen photos from folks who hang their trees upside down from the ceiling so that their cats can't get at them and while this may be going a little far, securing your tree by attaching it the wall so that it can't topple over makes good sense. Vacuum up dropped needles frequently to prevent them from being eaten or causing any other harm.
- Lights. Make sure that electrical cables are kept well out of the way, either hidden under rugs or covered with cable protectors, and use circuit breakers. Never leave trees decorated with lights unattended, especially with kittens around. Kittens have died through getting tangled in wiring, so keep your cats in sight and safe.
- Candles. Don't leave lighted candles unattended or in places where they might accidentally be knocked over and injure your pet, or otherwise start a fire.
- Decorations. Make sure any ornaments or other decorations you buy are non-toxic and don't contain small pieces that could get stuck if your cats try to eat them. Glass ornaments may shatter so avoid these if possible or hang them out of reach, and be careful with tinsel, lametta, garlands, hooks and twist ties, as these can all damage the gut if swallowed.
- Plants and Flowers. Lilies (often found in flower bouquets) are lethal to cats and should be banned from the house! Other plants popular at this time of year include mistletoe, holly, poinsettia and amaryllis, all of which are toxic to a lesser or greater degree. They are best avoided or otherwise kept well out of reach.
- Foods. Chocolate, cake, candies, cookies, nuts, alcohol - none of these are good for cats. Ingredients in other foods - raisins, sultanas, onions and garlic are toxic too, so avoid feeding your cats any foods that contain these. Cat food and cat treats are always better than human food.
- Gifts. Siamese cats love to 'help' you wrap gifts, but make sure they don't accidentally swallow or get tangled up in tape, string, paper or any other wrappings. Tidy up after yourself, and once wrapped, don't leave packages containing foods or treats under the tree - they're sure to be discovered, dismantled, and devoured!
- Visitors. If you're expecting visitors, make sure your cats have a calm, safe space they can retreat to, and, as always, make sure they can't escape through open doors.
- Vets' opening hours. In the sincere hope that you won't need the services of a vet, it's nevertheless a good idea over the holidays to note your own vet's opening hours, as well as the location and availability of emergency vets, just in case.
Festive Joys
One of the things that brings me great delight at this time of year is to walk round my neighborhood to look at all the decorative holiday lights and Nativity scenes.
With energy bills on the rise, I hope the decorations won't disappear completely as it's always cheering in the depths of winter to see the twinkling lights and bright colors. However, in case they do disappear, here are some Siamese twinkling lights and colors to provide us with a little festive joy!
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a card or two. Above and below are some further cards from Suzanne Le Good. Below, a Siamese cat and his Oriental pal (known affectionately as 'The Two') enjoy some snowy weather and the seasonal delights of hearth and home.
Christmas Stockings
If budgets are tight, Christmas stockings shouldn't break the bank. Here are four Siamese-themed ones - the first two are from Jenn's Doodle World and the second two by AmyLyn Bihrle, all available from Zazzle.
Below them, you'll find a small selection of reasonably-priced Siamese-themed gifts with which to fill your stockings!
I love AmyLyn Bihrle's big-eyed Siamese cats, so it's good to see her designs on Christmas stockings. Another of AmyLyn's designs, this time an art print, has long been one of my Christmas favorites - a Siamese cat 'helping' to add the lights to a tree (with the assistance of a little mouse friend.)
Stocking Fillers
Siamese cats pop up in the most unlikely places! Here are four gift items that would make good stocking fillers for Siamese cat lovers, made by four different design stores, all available on Zazzle.
(I particularly like the wording of the sticker, because, who isn't?)
More Festive Sparkle
There's something very magical about Christmas tree ornaments. I always enjoy the Siamese cat-themed ones and keep an eye out for them whenever I can.
Here are some of my favorites - they do tend to sell out quickly at this time of year but the ones below are all still available at the time of writing.
Beach Christmas?
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a corny joke or two. Many of us may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but here's a card with a tropical theme and a riddle! Can you guess the answer?
(It's at the bottom of the page below my signature, if not.)
Tail End ...
With that we come to the end of November's Meezer Musings, so all that remains is for me to wish you happy holidays and a very merry Christmas.
I won't be sending out a newsletter in December but will be back in 2023. Meanwhile I hope you enjoy all the festivities and the delights of the season,
wherever you are in the world. Merry Meezer Christmas!
Caroline
Missed a Meezer Musings? A list of previous newsletters can be found here.
What do you call a cat at the beach? Sandy Claws, of course!
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