Get out of the Christmas tree!!

marleyandme

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I feared this would happen, and it has. Marley won't stay our of our tree!! He climbs is, chews on it, plays with it, bats the ornaments everywhere! We have a squirt gun that we use to get him out of it and if we catch him in time keeps him from getting in it. But if we aren't around or it's night time you can forget it, he is in there playing away. Tiring him out doesn't work, he is just too interested. Short of keeping him in the bathroom, which I did the first night, I don't know what else to do. Is this a lost cause??
 

rosiemac

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Take it down. Seriously, i would take it down and leave it until next year.

I never put my 6' tree up last year because Jack was under a year old, so i bought a small one to stick on a table, and even then i would put it in the kitchen when i was out the house.

This year i've bought a 4' tree and all he's done is the odd tap on a bauble.
 
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marleyandme

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Im not taking it down, I thought there had to be something I can do to keep him out of it. By your suggestion, Im not thinking so. Well I can keep him in the bedrooms while we are gone and at night. I guess it's going to be a loooong month! Do cats usually grow out of this or should I expect it every year??
 

kittyl0ve4

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Im really worried about this too.. Last year my bfs mom refused to not put tinsel on the tree, so i kept Monster usptairs the whole time the tree was up. & Mittens, the woman who owned her last Christmas only had a little table tree. So Im worried how i might keep both of them away from the tree this year.
 

jack31

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We love Christmas here, thus our tree has been up for a month...sadly that will come to an end tonight--the tree is going back in the box. I just can't keep Jack and Harley out and I refuse to sacrifice their safety for my love of Christmas--and I would never lock them up just to have a Christmas tree.

I have a small fiberoptic tree on top of a bookshelf that they could care less about so it shall be our main Christmas tree this year.

We'll try again next year.

Leslie
 

rosiemac

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Originally Posted by MarleyAndMe

Do cats usually grow out of this or should I expect it every year??
Some do, some don't. To them it's a toy so you can see why they want to play with it.

Like Jack31 said, it's a shame to lock them up, not to mention squirting them with water all for a tree that's up for 3-4 weeks.
 

alleygirl

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He may grow out of it, but for this year I would take it down and put a small one on the table. That's what I did this year and so far it is working ok. Some cats won't be tempted at all, some will never stop. It would be a shame for him to be locked up like that all month


I would also recommend using non-breakable ornaments and ones that aren't a danger to kitty as well.
 
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marleyandme

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All of our ornaments are plastic or clay, I don't have any that are glass. Even the hooks are plastic. He won't be put up that much. My bf is in construction and will be home all month so the only time he will be locked up is at night and he sleeps in our room anyway and when we are gone, which isn't very often.
 

tab

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coco is loving both our trees but there is nothing she could hurt herself on. i'm getting used to redecorating it every morning though!
 

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I let mine play in the tree, I put it up knowing full well they'd be pulling decorations off. I'm really not that fussed about it, and they are having fun.

Mostly it's Farley, they pull off the baubles and bat them around. I just put them all back on few times a week
 

pami

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I dont care if mine played with the tree either, its actually cute, but mine would eat it and vomit, so mine had to come down.

There was an article going around with a lady that had her tree so beautifully decorated (with 2 cats) and every day, she would document with pics her Christmas tree. By the time Christmas had arrived, the tree was terrible, the cats were all in it, it was a mess and it was hilarious
She didnt stress, she just let what happen, happen and everyone, including the cats had a great time. Its just a tree. If you have plastic things on it and there is nothing that can hurt him, just relax and enjoy it.

On a different note, please dont spray your cat with water. So many people out there think its ok, but its not. A cat's ear is very sensitive and if any water gets into his ears, he can really develop a serious infection.

If you are going to lock your cat up and cause him undo stress, which it will, why not just take the tree down? That doesnt make sense that you are willing to stress your cat, which will in turn cause him health problems and cause you stress, over a tree, just take it down and let everyone enjoy Christmas.
 
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marleyandme

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I would let him play with it but how do you distinguish between batting at the ornaments and chewing the lights...you don't, so for his safety I'd rather not chance it. He isn't stressed, my gosh people, he is fine! I don't squirt him in the face, most of the time I don't even get him, just the general area he is in.
 

whiteforest

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My MIL only puts lights on her tree. She gave up on ornaments because one of their cats climbs the tree and knocks them all down on a daily basis. She hasn't decorated the tree in 4 years now.
 

renovia

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I have just decided that the cats will climb the tree. I have all wood and shatterproof ornaments on it and they are attached with floral wire. I don't use garland, I use ribbon, but if they ever chew that - it's coming off.

It's what cats do I'm afraid. And I'm much happier just letting him climb the tree. For one thing, because I ignore it - he doesn't reall do it that much anymore. Just the first couple of times were hard to ignore.
 

pami

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Originally Posted by AlleyGirl

I think this is the site Pami was referring to http://www.fluffytails.ca/christmas.asp

Hilarious!

If mine start bothering my tree, or doing something with it that might injure themselves, like chewing on lights I will simply take it down. No big deal.
OMG that is hilarious

I wish all my cats did was run in it. I would have one up in heartbeat
 

neva1991

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my kitten sassy does the same thing but she mostly plays with the balls on the tree. i don't mind if she does this as long as she doesn't pull down the tree and that hasn't happened yet. and i don't know if cats always do this or not but before i moved in with my boyfriend i had another cat named elijah and he was about 6 years old and he still liked to climb and play with the tree. so yes you may have to deal with this years to come.
 

twstychik

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I love the kitty christmas tree. I'd love to have the room for a big one but I don't think mine would climb it anyway.

Originally Posted by MarleyAndMe

I would let him play with it but how do you distinguish between batting at the ornaments and chewing the lights...you don't, so for his safety I'd rather not chance it. He isn't stressed, my gosh people, he is fine! I don't squirt him in the face, most of the time I don't even get him, just the general area he is in.
People are concerned because (in case you didn't notice) this is the CAT site. Dedicated to our beloved feline friends and their health and well being. No one is trying to chastise you, we just want to make sure that first and foremost our kitty companions are happy and healthy. Since all we have is what you have posted people are making general comments regarding what we know of the situation.
 
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marleyandme

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People are concerned because (in case you didn't notice) this is the CAT site. Dedicated to our beloved feline friends and their health and well being. No one is trying to chastise you, we just want to make sure that first and foremost our kitty companions are happy and healthy. Since all we have is what you have posted people are making general comments regarding what we know of the situation
Really, this is a CAT site?? Thats why I come here, of course I know what it is. He is very happy and healthy, thanks for your concern.
 

twokatz

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Sounds like you are trying to deal with it in a responsible manner, hopefully they will outgrow it, everything is a toy to a kitten

I don't get too concerned about the cats playing in the tree, they bat ornaments (plastic) and other stuff but fortuantely they outgrew the climbing, chewing part. Now if I can just get the pup (14 mos.) to leave it alone, it's only been up 4 days and he's already "killed" 3 birds.
My husband then picks up the mangled things and trys to redecorate, that is a disaster for sure, it definitely looks haggard by the end of the month

Chewing on the lights is another issue, mine did that the first year but they did outgrow it. My daughter's cat got some tinsel last year from a gift one of her kids brought home and ended up at the ER to be unplugged, that stuff is dangerous!
 
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