Cats and Christmas trees. How are yours doing?

[Californiablonde]

We got our tree early this year, thanks to a nice unexpected child support check. We have had it up since Saturday. At first I was a little concerned over the cats and how they would react to it. Last year we only had our one year old cat Lily, and I couldn't afford a tree so we didn't have one. This year is our seven month old kitty Mandy's first Christmas. Since both cats are stictly indoors and they've never been around a tree before, I was concerned that they would try and climb it, knock it over, or chew on the light cords. So far, thankfully, they have been really good.

For the first couple of hours that we had it up, Mandy was playing with the branches with her paws, but she quickly lost interest and hasn't touched it since. Lily had no interest in playing with it from the get go. She does, however, like to lay underneath the tree when it's lit up. Normally she's really reclusive and likes to hang out in the bedroom in the windowsill. She is usually very anti-social where as Mandy loves to sit in our laps and be cuddled. I think it's adorable that Lily is finally hanging out with all of us in the living room. It's a welcome change. I've heard all sorts of horror stories from people in my cat group about trees being eaten and knocked over. I'm grateful my kitties are adapting well. I plan on leaving up the tree as long as possible. Anybody else have trees yet? And how are your animals treating them?

 

[helpangel]

No icicles ... you will see a silver string hanging out cats backside with poop attached if it doesn't kill the cat (tie intestines up in a knot)

One year I put the tree inside a playpen that worked really well.

glass ornaments are staying packed away this year I remember how that goes... tink, tink tink (across the kitchen floor) then thunk, thunk smash after it goes down the basement stairs ... then she would go get another one... blown glass ornaments that are a hundred years old???... NO I'll pass!!!

This year I'm setting up the 20 year old artificial tree with no lights, I got a giant box of marti gra beads that I'm gonna hang all over it and put a star on top then see how it goes.

One last word on cats and real trees, it was Easter and I was still paying vet bills and putting drops in the eyes of a cat that got poked in the eye with a pine needle, never again.

good luck and hoping for a peaceful season,
Nancy

PS spritz some of your perfume on the tree and the cats won't go anywhere near it they hate the stuff and refuse to get it on their paws because they would have to lick it off.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

My easy child has two cats and she doesn't take the chance anymore after loosing a number of ornaments one year! She has a vintage tall and thin gold tree - no lights, just a vintage tree topper and some funky beads. They can't hurt themselves or the tree!

I've had my tree up for two weeks now!

 

[susiestar]

Our tree has been up all year. Jess has trouble with lots of lights on and our skinny prelit tree is often just right. Plus husband always wanted to do that anyway.

Capn Morgan does not try to climb it. THAT would be a sight to see as he is over 20 pounds. Not fat, just fluffy if you ask him, lol. He loves the lights. Gracie used to have the funniest thing. In the old house we had a bar between the kitchen and living room, and we put the tree up right by the bar. The first year we had her, I was doing dishes and all at once I saw eyes reflecting at me from over the bar - IN the tree. It was a slightly more sturdy tree than we have now, but even for 8 pound Gracie Lou Freebush it took some balancing not to topple it. When we first got Freckles she did a bit of experimental tree climbing, but she learned that it was more fun to not send it crashing to the floor.

The tree in the playpen worked well when Wiz was a toddler. Freckles was the same age, to within a few days (we got her at the shelter but she had an old lady servant who used our vet and her birth was on file), and we put the tree stand on a sturdy little end table/stool thingy we had inside the playpen. That way the little tree we could afford looked bigger, could be seen with-o peering through the mesh sides, and the presents were put inside the playpen until it was time to open them.

From the time we got our first pet, the bottom branches have always had toddler and pet safe ornaments. Once there were no little ones in the house regularly, the lower branches were all designed for the cats. The dog never really got terribly interested unless the cat sent an ornament across the room. We tell our cats which branches are theirs and which are not, and generally they respect that. It wasn't until I was in college that I realized that other people's cats don't respond to this type of thing. Our always seem to though.

If you like to make paper snowflakes, my cats have always loved them. There are even sites to download Dr. Who snowflakes to cut out. thank you is intrigued by this, lol!

 

[AnnieO]

This is how my cats deal with our tree...

It's an artificial, pre-lit tree, fairly skinny, and you can't see it now but it's behind a baby fence... We DO have a toddler.

All the ornaments this year are unbreakable. I was sad not to put my Grandma's ornament on (I gave it to her in 1976) but I'd rather it survived another year. Rose can't get to the tree, but just in case!

 

[Californiablonde]

Awww your cat is beautiful, AnnieO!

 

[AnnieO]

Thank you! I also have a panther kitteh, but he was elsewhere...

 

[Lucedaleblessed]

Our tree is wired to the ceiling. We had a kitten who loved to climb everything. Now where she is older she might not be so interested but it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[cubsgirl]

husband and I were just discussing the tree. He doesn't want to put ours up this year (small artificial) because he thinks the cats will be in it. I think we avoided putting it up last year because our youngest kitty was just a kitten and into everything.

I might put it up while he is done and see how the cats do. I can always bring it back down but I want a Christmas Tree up this year!!

 

[DammitJanet]

We had animals who got into our tree...especially when I used birds as ornaments! I gave away our artificial tree last year to Cory, along with all the ornaments, but I think Mandy sold it last year. This means I have to go buy another tree. I am thinking of just getting a small tree that I can put on a table. I can get a pre-lit tree at Big Lots for not a lot of money. I am going to have all the presents at my house this year after Mandy selling everything I got for the baby last year. Pretty much all the time, Monkey's presents stay at my house unless its something I dont care much about.

 

[KTMom91]

I'm trying to get Hubby to set up ours tonight. I'll let you know how the cats (and the two new kittens) like it.

 

[Californiablonde]

I also have a small purple tree in our bedroom, since purple is my favorite color. It has it's own little white lights and looks so pretty when it's all lit up. I have no idea why, but I sleep better when my purple tree is plugged in. There's something about the lighting that helps me stay asleep. The cats don't even notice it and haven't made any moves to touch it so far.

 

[donna723]

I have a whole herd of outside cats but none that live in the house. Most of them don't even live here but just show up twice a day to eat. And they bring their friends. I do have four dogs that share the house with me, three Bostons and a bigger mixed breed girl. Although they don't climb up in the tree (they would if they could figure out how to do it!) they create their own little problems with the Christmas tree which is only a few feet from the front door. Freebie, my mixed breed girl, is the only one with a real tail to wag. And she gets so overjoyed at the thought of going outside on potty trips that she stands at the front door wagging her long tail as she waits for me to put her leash on her. Her tail reaches the tree and as she wags, ornaments go flying across the room. Katy, my chubbiest Boston, has a more subtle approach. She waits till I'm not looking, then sneaks up behind the tree. Then in a burst of pure joy, she runs under the tree and out the other side with a great big smile on her face, as the tree rocks back and forth in its stand! She loves doing that. I think she likes the feel of the prickly branches scraping across her back and she loves to run her face through the dangling tinsel icicles. A few minutes later I will catch her trying to sneak behind the tree to do it again. And little Trace, my only boy, gathers up all his toys and puts them under the tree. I have a new satin tree skirt and I think he likes the way it feels so he's claimed it as his own special spot.

 

[KTMom91]

None of our clowder is paying much attention to the tree with the exception of Cappuccino, the fat Siamese. She sits under the tree and doesn't move. Maybe that's why no one else goes near the tree...they don't dare cross her!

 

[helpangel]

Wow I am so glad we left Grandma's blown glass ornaments packed this year, woke up with the Christmas tree on its side again this morning... candy canes & mardi gra beads everywhere and haven't found my star yet.

It's strange because this year was probably the least prepared Christmas I ever had... shopping for 5 on under $100, didn't start shopping till the 20th, Cards went in the mail on the 21st. Yet I am calm and looking forward to the holiday, being on a tight budget I had to put some careful thought into my shopping and I believe I did better this year then years when I spent 10 times that amount.

Other years start shopping in August, house decorated to extent it's lit up like Los Vegas in here and me stressed out for over a month making sure everything is perfect to end up disappointed. Kids who already have more material possessions then anyone needs end up with a bunch more junk they could care less about.

I like this simplified Christmas... and it will be wonderful and magic... tiny loves her apartment in the dog cage and I don't have to worry about her, the kitty's won't care that their toys are homemade and when the tree gets knocked over instead of upset about something precious getting broken we laugh stand it back up and put more weights on the bottom of it. it's all good.

Have a blessed holiday,
Nancy

PS I think also helping the calm is the landlord finally got my boiler fixed! I know what it cost to heat this place with space heaters the past 3 winters and just having heat that isn't going to cost a fortune was all the presents I needed.