Yearly Question about Christmas trees......

renovia

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Here's my yearly question - Stoli and Luxor climb our artificial tree. They go under the branches and climb the center. We've tried what literally seems to be everything:

clickr training
bitter apple on the tree
shoving packages under

So this year we were thinking about baby gates all around the tree.

Do you think this would work?

None of our cats has ever jumped 'on' the tree. We'd have to put the baby gates up really really really close so they couldn't just jump down and get under the tree.

I'm very tired of constantly fixing branches - it looks awful.
 

white cat lover

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We were just talking about this. Given the little fluffy dog that eats everything & the cats - we are putting up a puppy kennel/exercise pen around our tree this year. You can get them in all sorts of heights/sizes.
 

trouts mom

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I can't help you. We simply don't have a tree because it seems impossible with Miss Trout around. I don't know what we are going to do when we have kids and we need a tree
 

weldrwomn

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Even though an artificial tree goes against my Oregonian upbringing, Hubby and I have a 2' artificial tree that we put on top of the stereo cabinet. The cats don't bother it at all because there isn't room for them to jump up there when the tree is there. The only time I have a problem with the cats is when I am putting garland and Christmas lights on the tree.
 

nurseangel

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I don't put up a tree, but my mom's draws quite a lot of attention every year. Sometimes all you can see is the tree shaking and then out pops Misty's head from somewhere high in the branches. Put some live chipmunks in that tree and Misty would be on
.
 

3catsn1dog

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We actually never had a problem that we noticed with Herc and Fatman in the Christmas tree. They could have gotten into it while we were sleeping but never while we were awake....This year though we have to watch GiGi and Franklin cuz who knows what those two nutcases will do. But our tree looks dumb anyways its a hand me down dysfunctional tree..LOL...But it works for us since we only use it to make the house feel festive!
 

ut0pia

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No trees for me...It would just add more ways in which Jake can make a mess
He's very naughty.. I'd rather not deal with it. I even convinced my mom not to put one up and she loves to do Christmas decorations. But the lack of a tree gave her an excuse to go overboard with the yard
 

jupeycat

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This year we're having a real one and it'll be in our bedroom where we spend a lot of time using our computers. I've bought some dried orange slices which I'm threading ribbon through and they are going to be my decorations this year along with some cinnamon sticks. I don't want to shut the cats out of the room because it wouldn't feel like Christmas if they weren't around! I've tested the orange slices on them and they don't like the smell so hopefully this year will go better than last year (5ft artificial tree + big black cat = tree that looks like a toliet brush)!
 

pami

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Originally Posted by Renovia

So this year we were thinking about baby gates all around the tree.

Do you think this would work?
They could jump over them if they wanted .........

No tree here because of
....... I wish though I love Christmas and Christmas decorations.
 

jugen

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No tree here either. 6 cats + Christmas tree= disaster. Just safer if I put up cat safe things like statues or things that the cats can't get to because they are on the mantle and they can't get on it... Presents always have to be hidden after wrapping or the cats would be like kids and try and to upwrap them....
 

alleygirl

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We had a 4' tree on the table last year. Xander jumped on the table to lay under it a few times but didn't bother the decorations. Riley was afraid of the tree and wouldn't go near it, especially if the lights were on


I'm not sure what would happen if we had one on the floor. It might be messed with a lot more then.
 
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renovia

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Originally Posted by Pami

They could jump over them if they wanted .........

No tree here because of
....... I wish though I love Christmas and Christmas decorations.
I was thinking if the gates were close enough they'd end up jumping down 'ON' to the tree and them might not like that since they won't jump on it anyways.
 

cjh27

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Hi,

our christmas tree stand has got some extra cement in the base to make it heavier and harder to topple the tree- other wise we've used real and fake apples as decorartion instead of baubles. Or plastic baubles- in other words decorations that won't break or produce glass shards when knocked off the tree
If the kitties have had fun knocking things down we simply re- attatch the decoration to the tree again and let them enjoy their special way of celebrating christmas.

Oh, and obviously tinsel is a big no no


regards,

Christine
 

cjh27

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On another, not quite as traditional note:

One of the prettiest "christmas trees" I've ever seen was a white designer dress on a clothes horse made of whicker which had hundreds of little fairy lights wrapped around it. It looked stunningly beautifull (obviously the family wasn't christian but still wanted to get into a festive mood
).

regards,

christine
 

otto

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I have a two foot table top tree. It is the Cats' Tree. there are no ornaments that are breakable or toxic. I do have lights on it. I keep them up[lugged when I'm not home but they don't seem to pay any attention to the lights. They delight in knocking off the ornaments. I put them back on.

Tolly especially loves the Tree. He hugs it when I first take it out of the box. I have a video of him taking the angel off with his mouth, so he can rest his chin on the top of the tree. Or rub his face on it. He does it every day. Several times a day actually.

he is very grumpy when I put it away.

I am very excited for them to have their tree again in two months!
 

otto

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am I allowed to post the youtube link to Tolly and his tree? I will if anyone wants to see it!
 

strange_wings

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We usually don't bother - though I have considered going "retro" (as in 7th to 12th century-ish) and hanging one from the ceiling.
If one has high ceilings and nice support beams this would be a great alternative. You can buy artificial trees specifically made for or this, though one has to look around a bit.

Maybe pet owners could bring this back into style?
 

missymotus

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I put my tree up knowing full well it will be trashed by xmas time, I don't mind at all. I don't care that it's not perfect and the cats have a ball with all their new 'toys' and seeing if the tree will hold their weight as they climb. I find decorations for weeks afterwards
 

pami

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I put my tree up knowing full well it will be trashed by xmas time, I don't mind at all. I don't care that it's not perfect and the cats have a ball with all their new 'toys' and seeing if the tree will hold their weight as they climb. I find decorations for weeks afterwards
That sounds so fun! Make sure you get lots of pics!
I wish I could do that, but for some reason Easy eats the tree

I might try it again this year and see if they eat it or not.
 

misty8723

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I haven't put my tree up since the year we got the cats (2005). Put it up in 2005 and haven't since.
 
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