Christmas Tree

Okay, so I've bought my first Christmas tree and began putting up the ornaments ...... now I just need some help keeping Vader away from it. He's even climbed up the trunk of the tree I'm trying the water bottle thing ... but I don't want to come home from work tomorrow and find my tree on the floor. Any suggestions??

Magda

I haven't tried it, but my aunt and uncle put balloons around the tree and that keeps their cats away. According to them, you only need one balloon to pop and they'll avoid it for good!

I'm all ears. We haven't pulled out any decorations yet but a few hours of packing shoe boxes with tissue and goodies was enough to dub Pippen "The Christmas Menace"

Last year the kids stuff filled up one tree so I finally got another set up with all my glass ornaments. I don't think I'll be doing that this year...

I have always tied my trees to the wall-I have a fake tree and I just use the slip leashes I got from work and then I screw them to the wall. I works pretty well. I only had 4 kitties last year, and it stayed upright. I would let you know how it works with 6 kitties, but we are moving into our new house 4 days before Christmas this year so no tree . I also found the best hooks for ornaments at Target last year, they are a thick, green plastic and they are not easily swallowed! I think they are a must for any pet owner. The beauty of a fake tree is then I wrapped the end of the branch back over the hook and there was no way those babies were comin off! Good luck and I hope your tree stays upright this year! Also watch out for the lights-Melody and Uno both have a taste for lightbulbs, and everyday I would have to come home and find where they had hidden the lightbulbs, then replace them in the string and then we would play the game all over again the next day.

I bought a few yards of dark green small holed netting from a fabric store a couple of years ago, to help keep my 2 yr old out of the tree ornaments. A happy side effect was that I wasn't waking up to jingle bells bouncing off the tree and across the room, nor were there any cats up the tree . I wrapped about the bottom 2/3rds with the netting, leaving enough extra hanging off the bottom that I could tie it together at the trunk-the could still steal the water, but not climb the tree, nor get the ornaments. My parents used to tie some heavy fishing line to the top of the tree, and put a small nail in either the trim around the ceiling, or into a stud so the cats couldn't pull it down. After a few years of that we (my DH and I) just decided to get a heavy, large bottomed stand and a smaller tree And you could hardly tell the netting was there, even in pictures .

What Christmas tree?

LOL with my fur kids (not to mention DS) I dont think it will be possible!

i have my christmas tree up and for the first time (on my own) we have kitties at christmas. we have the tree secured to the wall in two places as well as anchored to the floor. we also have the sections secured together. all the ornaments are 'unbreakable' and are secured with that green wire that is COMPLETELY fastened to the tree as well as the ornament. and instead of garland, we have ribbon, which is again fastened to the tree.







this baby isn't coming down.

Isn't there something to keep him away from the tree completely?? The ornaments are unbreakable, but having them plop onto the floor while i'm trying to sleep (i have hardwood floors) is not fun!!!

Magda

I can't begin to count the number of times over the years that my tree has come crashing donw due to kitties at night! I have now learned tie it securely! I have my tree by a window. There are two nails on the side of the window sill that are used to tie string around the middle of the truck and then tied to the nails. So far it has stayed up!

my ornaments don't come crashing down and i have hardwood floors. i have taken the little hooks and secured them both to the ornament as well as the tree.

Originally Posted by msrpavao

Isn't there something to keep him away from the tree completely?? The ornaments are unbreakable, but having them plop onto the floor while i'm trying to sleep (i have hardwood floors) is not fun!!!

Magda

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Oh Magda I feel your pain!!! I too have hardwood floors, and when they knock the remote control on to the floor in the middle of the night, it sounds like someone kicked in the door!!!

Originally Posted by fuzzymolly

I haven't tried it, but my aunt and uncle put balloons around the tree and that keeps their cats away. According to them, you only need one balloon to pop and they'll avoid it for good!

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That sounds funny....traumatizing, yes. But funny.

Originally Posted by Pippen

I'm all ears. We haven't pulled out any decorations yet but a few hours of packing shoe boxes with tissue and goodies was enough to dub Pippen "The Christmas Menace"

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I'm sure I will have my own "Christmas Menace" this year too....last year we had no cats, this year we have 2. And Louie is enough trouble for 3 cats put together....but, hey, you gotta love a bad boy!

I've been wondering how were going to deal with the Christmas tree this year too.
Gracie, Lizzie and Annabelle don't bother it but since Kidd was a stray up till two weeks ago and the champion tree climber of the neighborhood I'm thinking I may try the balloons.

Some tips to save the tree:

1. Tie helium, mylar balloons to the tree and set a fan on low that will blow onto the balloons. The movement highers up makes the cat think that it's a big critter and should leave it alone.

2. It may not be pretty, but tie a few of the car air fresheners (you know, like the trees that hang from the rear view mirror) in citrus scents around the bottom of the tree. Most cats don't like citrus and will avoid it. You can also get the non-hanging long-lasting air fresheners (like Air Wick) in citrus and put a couple of those around the bottom of the tree.

3. This takes a little more work, but mix up some vinegar and water and spray the tree every few days. Remember that their noses are much more sensative than ours, so it doesn't have to be strong to deter them.

4. If you have a real tree, it is really important to keep them away from the water! The sap from the tree is toxic to cats, and if they are drinking the water it can mean a trip to the emergency vet. Use screen material or mesh to put on top of the open water, securely fastened, to keep kitty out of the water.

I would be worried about a choking hazard with using balloons especially since I have an 8 month old baby boy who is just learning to crawl.

We have an artificial tree, but every 5th year we get a real one (compromise). When we did, good thing we used only water in the base. The cat drank it! Even with an artificial tree she would climb up in it and lay down. But as she became a "fatty catty" she couldn't maneuver up there. Well she's dropped weight and this year she might just be able to get up there. I place a foot stool on the side of the tree facing the window. That way she can see outside and isn't as excited about being up in the tree.

Originally Posted by MEANHAL

I would be worried about a choking hazard with using balloons especially since I have an 8 month old baby boy who is just learning to crawl.

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That's why I suggested mylar balloons and not the regular kind. If the mylar ones are punctured, they don't expode and break apart into small pieces that can be swallowed. They just deflate.

This is what we did for our trees/cats:

We get live trees.

1. Bring in tree and set up undecorated.

2. Let the cats/dog check it out under supervision. BTW we get the trees with "points" and not the soft needle kind - works well to keep them away after they get poked a few times.

3. If they attempt to touch or climb they are told NO in a loud voice. Most times this works.

4. Spooky was bored with the tree - seen them too many times. Ling never saw a tree so this is how we got her to stay away.

5. Sit quietly with the water spray bottle. Wait for cat to come near the tree and then without a word have the tree "spray" water at the cat. They don't know what hit them other then to know the tree is not a good thing to be around.

6. Took us about 4 times of the tree attacking the cat (Ling) for her to avoid that tree.

7. When decorated you might have to reinforce the water thing once or twice.

8. Be sure to hang unbreakable stuff near the bottom and do NOT use any of the string tinsel on the tree unless the tree is totally off bounds to the pets (like behind closed doors).