Doofus Stop That!!!!!!!!!

I have been yelling that since we got our xmas tree...... ....him and mabby keep trying to drink the water under the tree....I had an idea that this was a bad sceane but then I read on here that the water from there can cause gastrenol (sp?) problems....When I catch them I shoo them away...but i dont know what they do at night....Plus no sound scares them, and no spray or scent repells them.....what should I do...I just went through a sickness with Emmet, and I would really like to keep all 3 cats healthy...at least until the new year...lol ....as always I respect and appreciate all the advice the gods and goddesess of TCS can give me........

I would rather not lock all three kitties in my small bedroom...but I will resort to that if it will keep them healthy

Can you put something over the base of the tree that covers up access to the water?

that would be my suggestion as well. Maybe tape some cardboard pieces over the water area so they can't get into it..

Put some screening over the base...that way you can still fill it with water.

Spotz

I thought I read that drinking water from the tree was fine, as long as the water comes from the tap (or is filtered). I read it in the paper a while ago, but maybe the writer was misinformed...

That's one good thing about artificial trees, lol, you don't have to worry (well, Buffy keeps climbing it, and she bent one of the "branches" and now I don't think we'll be able to bend it back... oh well, lol)

How about something like scrunched up chicken wire in the container, that comes above the water level. Then you can add more water, but the cat can't get it's head in to drink.

We filled our bucket that the tree sits in with rocks and just top the water up every dayt - none of our pets bother the tree though.

ooooo thanx all of you...I will try covering it up with something....well see if that stops them

Just had another idea - I'm not sure what you call it, but in UK it's "cling film" the stretchy, clingy clear plastic film that you cover up food with in the fridge. Could you stretch that over the top?

(Dur .... You probably call it cling film too, but I once taught at a school in Italy and had a dreadful problem trying to explain to the (English speaking) children what cling film was).

I've always called it plastic wrap. But cling film is very descriptive. Becky

Originally Posted by Jan

Just had another idea - I'm not sure what you call it, but in UK it's "cling film" the stretchy, clingy clear plastic film that you cover up food with in the fridge. Could you stretch that over the top?

(Dur .... You probably call it cling film too, but I once taught at a school in Italy and had a dreadful problem trying to explain to the (English speaking) children what cling film was).

Click to expand...

Yeah the cardboard worked for all of 5 seconds....so ill try the plastic wrap idea..may if i get elastics to put on the enge of the plastic wrap i can make it real tight....and then ill use to pieces so that there is a crack in the middle that way I can still fill it.........Brilliant....lol.....thanx all of you again ..ill write later and tell you how it works

We have one of those giant tree disposal bags under the tree stand, and I just bunch up the ends of it over the basin of the tree stand, and then cover the whole thing with a tree skirt. It's just too much work for the kitties to bother with (plus with all that plastic there I don't know that they even realize there's water there). it's sort of a pain for me when I have to water the tree, but it's not horrible. The added bonus is that when we go to throw out the tree after Christmas, we just pull the bag up over it, and it keeps us from having pine needles all over the apartment.

I tried the whole plastic wrap clingy stuff...and so far it has worked like a charm...mabby tried to pull it off with her paw...but luckily shes a kitten with the attensions span off a 5 year old with ADD.....so yaaaaaay...thanx guys

My cat Sheba (RIP) drank out of the christmas tree stand for years with no ill effects. I think she liked the pine flavor!!