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Christmas trees and cats

post #1 of 23
11/23/09 at 9:31pm
Thread Starter 
I want to put up a 3' tree on the desk in my bedroom where I sleep with Ally and Ollie. I've decided on LED lights b/c they're low-voltage/low-amperage - safer around my furry buddies.

For the tree, I want it to be fake. I had my eye on this prelit tree at Walmart. Actually 2. One is 3.5 feet in various colors, the other is 3 feet standard colors. I'd have to take the prelit lights off to get the LED lights on but no biggie.

Anyways, how can I kitty proof a fake Christmas tree? I'm wondering if Ollie or Ally will nom on the branches.

Or.... is this a bad idea to have an artificial Christmas tree near cats?
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post #2 of 23
11/23/09 at 9:39pm
Most of those 3' and under trees are pretty indestructable and despite many knock-overs and falls, I had one for about 12 years. It would bend but not lose branches, but, alas, like any tree, real or artificial, it started looking really ratty so I tossed it. Am half-heartedly looking for a 2-3 footer with LED and battery operated to prevent another episode of playing hunt for the outlet in the dark corner...the inevitable outcome of Da Magpie's favourite game of unplug the cord.
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post #3 of 23
11/23/09 at 10:03pm
It depends on the cat. Some cats are fine and mostly leave it alone others, well they thing the whole world and everything in it is a giant cat toy -like my Aya.

I would suggest not using loose tinsel (easily ingestible and not digestable).

Also certain types of ornaments like small stuffed animals and such appeal as cat toys. Figuring out is mostly a matter of trial and error. We had one cat who would go after some vnitage red glass shiny balls. We has a six-foot real tree so we just moved them up on the limbs out of Gracie's reach.
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post #4 of 23
11/23/09 at 11:04pm
My cats don't eat the branches, they just climb the tree and steal decorations They have a fantastic time trashing the tree (and I don't mind at all) I've always had a fake tree, never a real one.

This is Ana before the decorations went up this year
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post #5 of 23
11/24/09 at 3:20am
I know one tip I heard of, and then tried, was to put some lemon juice in a spray bottle (or something) and spray it around the tree. Didn't really work for my girls. You have to spray it every few days to keep up the citrus assault, but this stuff makes everything sticky. I know the next year when we were taking ornaments out of the boxes, everything had dried crud and hair stuck to them. Uck.

We just let the cats do what they want to the tree. If we see someone coming towards the tree and making like they're going to jump up, we'll try to startle her away from it, but for what it's worth, they don't usually listen. Though for the most part, the tree is several years old now and it doesn't look TOO bad. Some branches are floppy and loose, but we just turn those ones towards the wall, lol. We figured it would be fine letting Buffy and Willow roam the tree, since the tree wasn't really bending and crumbling under them (they're 7 & 8 pounds), but then we got Molly (tops at about 11 or 12 pounds). Just one year and the tree was begging to be shot with a gun and put out of it's misery.

It's hard, though, to get mad when this little face looks at you while biting a pine cone ornament
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post #6 of 23
11/24/09 at 4:28am
I cannot have a tree at all. Trout will be in it, on it and around it at all times. Plus all the ornaments are on the floor everyday after work.
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post #7 of 23
11/24/09 at 5:39am
I don't celebrate Christmas, I am not Christian, but I can only imagine that a Christmas tree with all that dangly stuff and climby stuff must seem like a giant cat toy to them!!
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post #8 of 23
11/24/09 at 6:08am
it depends on the cats! I have never in my life had a fake tree and will fight the Beau over that! We always get a real tree! Its better for the environment plus that smell! And more fun to go traipsing around a tree farm to find the perfect one!

The first year we had Joey he knocked our tree over 3 times but part of that is we dont think the base fit quite right! But all of the others are fine with it. Google will steal the ornaments (infact I just found one a few weeks ago) so we just make sure to put like dollar store and cheapy ornaments on the bottom and the nice ones up top and NEVER put the crystal on the tree! (which sucks cause I've had to buy a lot of new ornaments thanks to the cats... we had mostly crystal ornaments before then)
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post #9 of 23
11/24/09 at 6:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AddieBee View Post
I don't celebrate Christmas, I am not Christian, but I can only imagine that a Christmas tree with all that dangly stuff and climby stuff must seem like a giant cat toy to them!!
Decorating trees and even cutting them down to bring in the home isn't really Christian - it's a bit more mixed up than that with a little bit of influences from several things. Like a lot of other holidays and customs, it was stolen/adopted.


I don't bother with a tree. Too much trouble, I already know Tomas takes great joy in unhooking every single branch he can. I'm sure Sherman's big fluffy butt would tip it over. Plus I have kittens...

Quote:
Originally Posted by capt_jordi View Post
which sucks cause I've had to buy a lot of new ornaments thanks to the cats... we had mostly crystal ornaments before then
Cut some boughs, hang them up near the ceiling, add lights if you wish, and hang the ornaments on them?
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post #10 of 23
11/24/09 at 6:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Cut some boughs, hang them up near the ceiling, add lights if you wish, and hang the ornaments on them?
Yeah usually do something like that but mostly they stay up. Our tree still looks cute, and actually last year we did use some crystal and it was actually safe! Hopefully we can do the same this year!
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post #11 of 23
11/24/09 at 6:54am
The first year I had Peter and Claire they pretty much demolished by 3' artificial tree in a matter of minutes. There were ornaments everywhere and the branches were bent all out of shape. They must have gotten it out of their systems because they haven't bothered it since. Gracie has always left the tree alone. Katie, my oldest at 16, has to climb the tree at least a couple of times over Christmas and sit in the branches.
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post #12 of 23
11/24/09 at 7:54am
Those pics of the cats in the trees are great! Never seen that.

My cats love trees, but more to hang out under and amongst the presents. The really only go for dangly low ornaments. As mentioned, and clearly demonstrated by those pics, all cats are different. You may want to consider anchoring the tree somehow. With bigger trees I have made anchor lines from near the top to the wall just in case
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post #13 of 23
11/24/09 at 8:07am
When i was a kid my step dad always tied the tree with fishing line toward the top with a screw in the wall so at least if the cats DID get to it, they couldnt knock it down.

My hubby to be and i will have a 3-4 ft tree on our mantle...the kitties will not be allowed to roam free at night otherwise we would have a disastor on our hands. But during day Jeff is home to watch them. Hopefully it wont be too bad.
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post #14 of 23
11/24/09 at 8:25am
As a child, we had 2 cats growing up - 1 just loved to sit under the Christmas tree (fake tree). Most of the time she didn't bother with it, but every now and then you'd see it shaking. The other cat ignored it.

Not sure how this Christmas is going to be with Batman, our crazy 7 month old kitty We'll have to be sure to put it up early on a Saturday morning so we can see how much trouble he gets into with it and make sure it's safe (aside from the obvious bad things that we'll not have on it).
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post #15 of 23
11/24/09 at 8:59am
Promise everyone I will get pictures once our tree goes up & Oscar discovers it :S. I'm thinking we'll get the tree this weekend then decorate NEXT weekend so maybe he'll get bored of it before he can break anything (yeah right!!).

The last few years my dad has had to TIE DOWN (with marine rope) the christmas tree because of my sister's cat! Not matter what they do they just can't keep Jedi out of it !
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post #16 of 23
11/24/09 at 9:25am
I had a 3-4 ft tree on the table last year. Xander likes to lay under the tree on the table and will swat at an ornament or two if they are dangling down, but he's not a chewer.

Riley is a chewer and would probably destroy it except that he was scared of it and wouldn't go near it We'll see what happens this year when I put it up.
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post #17 of 23
11/24/09 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by oodlesofpoodles View Post
When i was a kid my step dad always tied the tree with fishing line toward the top with a screw in the wall so at least if the cats DID get to it, they couldnt knock it down.

My hubby to be and i will have a 3-4 ft tree on our mantle...the kitties will not be allowed to roam free at night otherwise we would have a disastor on our hands. But during day Jeff is home to watch them. Hopefully it wont be too bad.
Thats what my dad taught me as well... I use wire though and have hooks where our tree goes so I can easily take it on and off.
This year (we have a really rambunctious kitten) I also put it on a milk crate and wired it to the milk carton so that there was a more stable base on it.
So far the tree is still up (we only put it up Saturday) and I've only had to peel Hank out of it once.
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post #18 of 23
11/24/09 at 1:52pm
Christmas is huge deal in my family so the first year we had Jack we did a tree and he did pretty good for only being 5 months. Last year we had Jack and Harley and I put the tree up right after Halloween and I took it down right after Thanksgiving because they trashed it. This year I have Jack, Harley and Pepper. But I found something Jack and Harley are petrified of--my wind chime. So it is hanging inside the tree, and if they even so much as touch the tree it rings and they run. Pepper isn't scared of it, but without her genius older brothers showing how to get in it, she hasn't shown much interest!

Leslie
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post #19 of 23
11/24/09 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_Dog View Post
It's hard, though, to get mad when this little face looks at you while biting a pine cone ornament
Love the pic. I have a friend who says "it's the season of giving, I'm giving them fun" - which I completely agree with.
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post #20 of 23
11/25/09 at 9:46am
It really depends on the cat.

Cotton & Freya like to lay under the tree and whack at a few low hanging ornaments, but other than that they're fine with it...I just make sure the lower ornaments are shatter-proof and go around and collect them to put back on the tree every few days.
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post #21 of 23
11/25/09 at 12:23pm
Here's my 'POPPY'... sadly she crossed over 4 months after at only 11 months old.

RIP 'Pops'

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post #22 of 23
11/25/09 at 2:39pm
Our kitties eat any living plant that comes near, so no trees for us. We have enough trouble with just the presents. (See below).

The only advice I have is - put it up when you can monitor for at least a day. Don't use ornaments that can hurt them if they break/shatter.

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post #23 of 23
11/27/09 at 5:12pm
I guess I'm lucky because my cats really have no interest in our tree-- they are young- just 1 and 2 yrs old and very playful. They just like to sleep on the soft tree skirt.
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