Christmas trees and cats

Hi everyone,

I am thinking ahead............Christmas is coming and I love decorating. My only problem is that until this year (March) I have never had a cat before. I adopted Ellie in March and brought Smokey home in July. I have been thinking about not putting up my 7 foot tree this year. I really hate the idea, but I would hate for one of the cats to go in it or try to grab at it, and have it fall on them or something. I know there has to be some stories out there.........let me and everyone else hear them. What do you do for Christmas? Do your cats mess with the tree? Am I worring for nothing?

Thanks for the comments,
Jacki

Perhaps I've been lucky, but my two have never messed with the (fake) tree. Although they will mess with garland if it's on the tree! So we don't do garland, we use beads or wired-ribbon instead. Also, we do make sure that any ornaments on the lower parts of the tree are not breakable, and if a kitty swipes at or chews on them that they are safe. I haven't really had a problem with that either, though. One year Ophelia was fascinated by one particular ornament and I would find it on the tree skirt about ever other day, but that's it.

Oh, but my cats did adopt the velvet tree skirt as theirs! It is now a permanent part of our bedroom and we got a new one for the tree.

Ugh... Christmas with Sprocket was always a little bit of a trial and error thing. The first year he climbed the tree, knocked it over and destroyed the decorations... three times. Oh yes, and he ate about a foots worth of blue tinsel too. he was crapping blue sparkles for weeks. The vet at least found it highly amusing. I was just glad to know he hadn't done himself any damage. The second year he'd taken to chasing the baubles under cabinets a little too low for him to get out of again. So what can I say... no strings of tinsel, no baubles, probably best either to nail the cats to the floor, or not have a tree

I've been wondering the same thing....Harley, well, we all know he gets into everything....I was hoping/waiting that there would be a post about this closer to Christmas time! Only 2 more months about....right?! YAY!

I buy a real tree every year and have stopped using lights and fancy decorations. Now I tie toys to the tree. Dog toys, cat toys like toy mice and such because I can't keep them off of it. My dogs chew on the lower branches my cats climb it. I constantly have foster kittens so they all just love it. My tree usually falls about 10 times every year but I just can't give up having one!!

Originally Posted by valanhb

Perhaps I've been lucky, but my two have never messed with the (fake) tree. Although they will mess with garland if it's on the tree! So we don't do garland, we use beads or wired-ribbon instead. Also, we do make sure that any ornaments on the lower parts of the tree are not breakable, and if a kitty swipes at or chews on them that they are safe. I haven't really had a problem with that either, though. One year Ophelia was fascinated by one particular ornament and I would find it on the tree skirt about ever other day, but that's it.

Oh, but my cats did adopt the velvet tree skirt as theirs! It is now a permanent part of our bedroom and we got a new one for the tree.

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My story is more like Heidi's. We dont do garland and only none breakable ornaments down low. I also get a real tree. The cats love the smell. The only problem we ever had was the scratching of the presents under the tree. They all seem to love being under there with the presents. Well whatever you decide good luck.

Melichus never bothered the tree, except for low-hangin baubles that I'd have to pick up and replace every morning. He mum had a plastic fetish so I've been trained out of using tinsel for 15 years now. Actually I think the beads are more elegant anyway.

The boys? I've been thinking about this too. One thing I might try if it looks like they're too interested in the tree will be to put a screw eye in the ceiling (in a joist) above the tree and run a thin wire to that so that at least they won't be able (I hope!) to knock it over.

The alternative is not having a tree ...

Of course, I guess I could decorate the cat tree ...

I have a four foot tall artificial tree and the only one of my cats that's ever bothered it my oldest, Katie. She likes to climb it then sit amidst the branches.

The only problem I have had so far is not having ornaments on the bottom third of the tree. We put non breakables on but the kits just knock them off and they end up all over the house.

valanhb, After hearing LillieKat's story you are lucky!

LillieKat, I am sorry but that is funny. I am happy your little guy is okay after all of that.

babyharley, I was thinking about waiting but I decided to post early. I am in the middle of decorating for halloween (inside and outside), and I was thinking of Christmas and then the thought of the tree and the cats popped in my head. LOL

I am more worried about Smokey than Ellie. Ellie is 2 and very laid back, Smokey on the other hand is a little terror. LOL If he is not chasing and aggravating Ellie, he is chewing and pawing at my 80 pound golden retriever (I am very lucky he does not mind). When he is not bugging my other pets he is climbing my couching or running fast onto them and falling behind them. The couch he happens to love most is the one in front of my windows which has rayon and silk drapes, he has pulled the scarf off quite a few times, luckily he has not wrecked them. That is why I am worried. LOL He is so lucky he is sooooooooooo cute!!! When he acts like that all I can do is laugh, he is so funny.

Just expect this .....

I did not put any glass ornaments on my tree . The middle pic is the first kitty's real brother and new stepbrother . My cat, Megan would just crawl and lounge in the branches .

Chris, those pictures are great!

You are all frightening me! Molly used to be so mellow with the tree. She would just lay on the skirt and occasionally swat at an ornament. This is our first Christmas with Abby, and to say that she is a little more playful than Molly was is an understatement.

ryobious, that is a really cute idea.

snosrap5, I wasn't even thinking about the presents........LOL. Something else to think about.

RoseHawke, let us know how your idea works for you. *thinking of decorating the cat tree* Not having a tree would make me sad.

eilcon, I was thinking about buying a smaller tree and putting it on my table, or buffet or sofa table. Maybe that is an option.

dicknleah, I guess that is another option for me as well.

captiva, OMG those pictures are so cute!!! I love it!!

Abbysmom, good luck with your little one this year.

Thanks everyone for your stories and ideas.

This is the closest my cat ever gets to an xmas tree!
He does like looking in all the boxes though!

I grew up with a cat, and have had cats most of my life, with no problems with the Christmas tree. Last year, Gar and Fest were 8 months old, and they enjoyed climbing into the tree, like Captiva's cats. The ornaments would fall off, and then they had fun playing with them on the floor.

I would suggest putting up a tree, trying to be sure it is set pretty stable. (An extra anchor is a great idea if you can do it!) And just don't put out any breakable ornaments, especially not the beloved ones. My kits really enjoyed the silk covered ornaments, the cheap unbreakables from K-mart. I have had those darn things for years, from when the kids were babies. They finally did a lot of them in, and we pitched them, no great loss.

Janey83, What a lovely picture. Your little guy looks so cute laying there. I can see my Smokey jumping in your tree. LOL

Beckiboo, thanks for the ideas.

We've had an artificial tree for the past two years, which seems to be less attractive to climb in than a real one. We only use (cheap) wooden or cloth ornaments, which Jamie generally takes down and hides every night (a tree with cat toys!!!), and no tinsel or garland. A friend with cats gave me a good tip - he has a small "eye" (as in hook and eye) in his ceiling, and secures the top of the tree to it with fishing line. I've seen photos (on German cat sites) of Christmas trees hung downward from the ceiling, too - that "solution" seems to be popular in northern Germany and Denmark.

... I was thinking about buying a smaller tree and putting it on my table, or buffet or sofa table. Maybe that is an option...

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This is what we do. We have a three or four foot (not sure now) artificial tree, that we put on what is supposed to be a lamp table -- about 2 feet square). We don't do a tree if there are kittens in the family, but after the first Christmas we don't worry. It has been so OK, that we don't even worry particularly about the ornaments -- they are high enough off the ground that they aren't much of an attraction. Sometimes we use a little tinsel -- the cats don't bother it -- but more often we just use ornaments and tiny lights.

The two years when there have been kittens in the family, we opted for caution, dispensed with the tree, and just did lots of other decoration, including a pine garland across the front window valance, with tiny lights strung on it. The flavour of the tree was there, if not the form. It was a good compromise.

You know...I have been wondering about this myself! Last year, I just had Samantha and Smudge, and Smudge and I spent hours fighting over whether or not she ended up in the tree!

Now, I have Little Missy, and her demonic terror hell cat kittens (can you tell they drove me bonkers this weekend??) and I am pretty sure they will give me a run for my money.

Last year, Smudge (the little darling) broke a lot of the cheap KMart ornaments that I had, and she ripped every christmas bow off of all of the gifts...so no one got a bow...I am still finding the little things throughout the house where she has hidden them!
However, I refuse to give up my christmas tree! I usually get an artificial one because I like to leave mine up a little early and a little longer than a real one will allow, so I am thinking all of you that mentioned double anchoring it and suspending it from the ceiling are some pretty smart cookies!

I will just have to convince my husband to do that.

At this point, he slinks through the house humming the mission impossible theme song while armed with a squirt gun, and try to catch the kittens in the act of destroying everything in the house...so after being squirted a couple of times, Jinx, Merlin and Haylee-Marie all run at the mission impossible theme song...God forbid he ever watch the movie!!!!

jcat, that is a cute picture. Thanks for the idea!

rapunzel47, I was thinking that maybe next year would be best, maybe by then Smokey will be a little less active. LOL Hopefully when he is 2 he will be more like Ellie. Thank you.

diane8704, good luck with your little ones this year.