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The end of the Christmas tree

post #1 of 25
12/17/10 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
We put up our Christmas tree. First the kittens just knocked the branches off and chewed them. Then they got better about it, and didn't do anything destructive, just chased each other underneath the tree. We only put their stockings on the tree, and Midnight ruined that by taking a flying leap into the tree, grabbing Luna's stocking and running off with it. So the stockings had to come down. We didn't put up any ornaments or candy canes. We only put the lights on the top of the tree, to about 1/2 way down the tree. Well they discovered they could climb the tree. Now that the've discovered that, we caught Luna chewing on a light bulb. My father and I quickly took the lights off the tree. Now we've just got the tree standing missing quite a few branches, it looks pretty pathetic. I'm so mad at them. Hopefully next year they'll be more mature!
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post #2 of 25
12/17/10 at 12:43pm
Wow - my Oci's are angels then compared to your gang!
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post #3 of 25
12/17/10 at 1:21pm
No sense in getting mad at them.

My tree is set up for the cats to destroy, they have a blast over 3-4 weeks that we have the tree up for. I would never expect cats, especially naughty Ocicats to not climb the tree or take decorations.
We don't use lights just in case they chew them and all decorations are non breakable.

I wouldn't count on them being more mature next year, my 4 year olds are just as bad as the kittens
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post #4 of 25
12/17/10 at 1:41pm
That was so nice of you to get them such a big fun toy!

My friend has her tree upsidedown on the ceiling, as in, feet nailed to the ceiling. The tree skirt is even up there! I think with staples.

She has 5 boy dogs, she wasn't even going to attempt to put it on the floor.
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post #5 of 25
12/17/10 at 1:49pm
They should be much better next year, and even better than that afterward. You have two young kittens in the prime of their destructive months, they will calm down a lot over the next year
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post #6 of 25
12/17/10 at 2:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by badkelpie View Post
That was so nice of you to get them such a big fun toy!

My friend has her tree upsidedown on the ceiling, as in, feet nailed to the ceiling. The tree skirt is even up there! I think with staples.

She has 5 boy dogs, she wasn't even going to attempt to put it on the floor.
That's hysterical! Can you ask them - how do they keep it watered?

When we lived in a house we never even bothered with a tree. But if you want one, I think that with cats, it really is best just to look at is as a big giant - well - CAT TREE, and just hope they can destroy it by the time Christmas is over, so you just have to clean bits up as you - well - they - go along!
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post #7 of 25
12/17/10 at 3:55pm
Thread Starter 
I knew those 2 were going to cause trouble with the tree. I just didn't think they'd chew the lights! If I knew that was going to happen believe me we'd never have put the lights up. The last thing we wanted or needed was them getting hurt. We'll try again next year

The best is a friend from work who's kittens last year knocked the topper off the tree, and she still hasn't been able to find it!
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post #8 of 25
12/17/10 at 4:02pm
In case you missed Simon's Cats latest video about the distruction of his Christmas tree...
I think you will understand his pain.

Goodbye Tree
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post #9 of 25
12/17/10 at 6:05pm
And this is exactly why we don't bother with a Christmas tree.
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post #10 of 25
12/17/10 at 6:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by xocats View Post
In case you missed Simon's Cats latest video about the distruction of his Christmas tree...
I think you will understand his pain.

Goodbye Tree
That was funny!
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post #11 of 25
12/18/10 at 3:46am
After having many trees destroyed over the years, I now use only artificial ones - these days they look so real that once they are decorated you can hardly tell the difference. The cats are far less likely to go for them. I put the tree up and leave it undecorated for a few days so they get used to it being there and then add the lights and unbreakable ornaments over another few days. I also put it in a window where I can run some wires around it attached to the curtain fittings. I finished my tree on Tuesday and so far they have left it alone apart from sniffing at it. Here's hoping!
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post #12 of 25
12/18/10 at 5:36am

I'm sorry, but the image in my head of your kitties destroying your tree sounds like the way things used to be at our house.

We haven't had a real tree in years, haven't used any sort of tinsel or tinsel garland, put the breakable ornies near the top, and I tie the tree to 2 different screw eyes set in the window frame to keep the tree from being toppled. Our cats really don't bother it, although they love to lay on the old quilt I use as a tree skirt.
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post #13 of 25
12/18/10 at 5:46am
I also use an artificial tree and have been lucky so far. Both cats have rubbed their faces on the lower limbs and Bijou was playing with one of the strands of beads but all is well so far.
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post #14 of 25
12/18/10 at 8:27am
I'm putting up our tree, an artificial one, today. The first year I had my youngest, Pete and Claire, they managed to bend the branches and complete knock it over a couple of times, but they pretty much leave it alone now. My oldest, Katie, who's going on 18, has to climb the tree at least once during the Christmas season, and sit amid the branches.
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post #15 of 25
12/18/10 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyranson View Post
After having many trees destroyed over the years, I now use only artificial ones - these days they look so real that once they are decorated you can hardly tell the difference. The cats are far less likely to go for them. I put the tree up and leave it undecorated for a few days so they get used to it being there and then add the lights and unbreakable ornaments over another few days. I also put it in a window where I can run some wires around it attached to the curtain fittings. I finished my tree on Tuesday and so far they have left it alone apart from sniffing at it. Here's hoping!
An artificial tree is what we have up. It didn't stop Luna and Midnight. We've only ever used artificial 1's.

Right now it's just standing there with a lot of branches down, no lights, and looks pretty sad.
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post #16 of 25
12/18/10 at 8:37pm
I have a weeping white pine instead of a Christmas tree!

I think I will try to fluff it up and put my unbreakable ornaments on since the "kids" got their early present. They love the cat condo and they fight over the perches.
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post #17 of 25
12/18/10 at 8:42pm
I haven't put a tree up in years, for all of the reasons mentioned!

My next tree will be like this one:

http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/jsj...upsidedown.jpg

http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/b...d2b4gotton.jpg
.
.
.
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post #18 of 25
12/19/10 at 10:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natalie_ca View Post
I haven't put a tree up in years, for all of the reasons mentioned!

My next tree will be like this one:

http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/jsj...upsidedown.jpg

http://thefuntimesguide.com/images/b...d2b4gotton.jpg
.
.
.
I think Luna and Midnight would still find a way to get in there!
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post #19 of 25
12/19/10 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
Our tree is now down. We couldn't leave it up. Luna got hurt on 1 of the branches. Her face got cut deep enough for her to bleed. We won't let them be hurt, having a tree up for Christmas isn't worth that. If I knew 1 of them would get hurt that badly, we wouldn't have put the tree up in the first place. Well the tree almost made it to Christmas. Hopefully next year we'll have better luck.
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post #20 of 25
12/19/10 at 1:55pm
Our little Spring is the expert tree climber here--he can charge up the middle of the tree and get to one of the top branches...and NOT knock things off the tree!!

Our tree is a very large bottom heavy one...68" in diameter at the bottom of the tree and 7.5' tall...so, for a 6lb kitteh...he can run up and down that tree all day and nothing falls off'n it...
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post #21 of 25
12/19/10 at 5:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by trimph1 View Post
...he can run up and down that tree all day and nothing falls off'n it...
Spring is a very talented Christmas tree climber.
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post #22 of 25
12/19/10 at 6:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by xocats View Post
In case you missed Simon's Cats latest video about the distruction of his Christmas tree...
I think you will understand his pain.

Goodbye Tree
My GF sent me that link because it reminded her of Mollipop! It's hysterical!

Kittens and Christmas trees are so not a good combination! Maybe next year will be better for a tree.
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post #23 of 25
12/19/10 at 7:10pm
Sorry about your tree. But cats (and even, even especially, kittens) are a lot more fun and more heart-soothing than a Christmas tree.

And these babies won't be babies forever.

Merry Christmas!


Robin
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post #24 of 25
12/19/10 at 9:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by trimph1 View Post
Our little Spring is the expert tree climber here--he can charge up the middle of the tree and get to one of the top branches...and NOT knock things off the tree!!

Our tree is a very large bottom heavy one...68" in diameter at the bottom of the tree and 7.5' tall...so, for a 6lb kitteh...he can run up and down that tree all day and nothing falls off'n it...
All kittens need a training from Spring!
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post #25 of 25
12/19/10 at 9:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bastetservant View Post
Sorry about your tree. But cats (and even, even especially, kittens) are a lot more fun and more heart-soothing than a Christmas tree.

And these babies won't be babies forever.

Merry Christmas!


Robin
No 1 day I'll miss kittenhood. However I don't remember Lynxx's kittenhood being as crazy. I don't remember him getting into the kind of trouble these 2 do. These 2 need to be watched every second. You go for 1, and the other is causing trouble
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