Are my cats just weird? (Holiday Decorations)

I'm seeing so many people here ing because their cats won't leave their holiday decorations alone.

I think my cats are strange. They really don't bother with the Christmas tree at all. Well, not since I stopped using the sparkly garland on it. Ophelia has the garland, sparkly fetish - she is the reason that garland cannot be hung anywhere in my house.

They LOVE laying underneath the tree, but that's it. They don't climb it, they don't play with the ornaments, they don't chew on the lights. I have the stockings up on the mantle right next to their cat tree - and they don't bother the stockings at all.

Wrapping presents can be a trick, especially if Trent notices I'm doing it. But I've found the way to distract him - he's a paper ripper, so if I use one of the little strips of scrap paper to distract him with and let him have it he will happily rip that bit up and not even notice that Meowmy is speed wrapping the other presents. Ribbons are a bit trickier, but I can still manage to distract him with more scraps of paper if necessary.

So, really - are Trent and Ophelia just strange little kitties? Anyone else have a GOOD kitty with Christmas? I've never skipped decorating with them around - not even when they were babies!

Molly was great with ALL decorations. I could put ANYTHING up, and she didn't bother it at all. She would sit next to me and watch me decorate or wrap gifts, and occasionally would lie on the wrapping paper, but she never got into anything. I am worried about how 18 month old Abby is going to be though! She always has to know what is going on and inspect EVERYTHING!

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

She always has to know what is going on and inspect EVERYTHING!

Click to expand...

...Is Her firts labour!!! Inspector Chief! ...... ....

Oh you are so lucky!! Harley loves the tree, unfortunatley! Today I found tree branches on the floor (we have a fake tree) and ornaments all over inside the tree and behind it! Usually he is SO good about not touching it since I took the garland off, he likes the sparkley stuff!! I think he might have just been bored?

Normally if I put decorations towards the bottom he will try and bat at them, but overall he's good with it too

My kitties don't really care one way or the other. Leo has his little spot under the tree, laying on the treeskirt, but that's it. Maybe it's because she's sick, but Lola has ignored the tree 100%

Sierra has always been especially fascinated with Christmas ornaments and quite "helpful" in rearranging them to her specifications! This year with Serenity, as much as she would enjoy it, I haven't yet decided if we will even attempt a tree!

In the home I was working this past weekend, the family was putting up their decorations. It really reminded me of the difference in decorations for a families with and without kitties! They have angel hair on every table to enhance their decorative items, tinsel on the tree, garland strung about, bells hanging all over as well as items with ribbons hanging off. These things wouldn't last an hour in my house!

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

Sierra has always been especially fascinated with Christmas ornaments and quite "helpful" in rearranging them to her specifications!

This year with Serenity, as much as she would enjoy it, I haven't yet decided if we will even attempt a tree!

In the home I was working this past weekend, the family was putting up their decorations. It really reminded me of the difference in decorations for a families with and without kitties! They have angel hair on every table to enhance their decorative items, tinsel on the tree, garland strung about, bells hanging all over as well as items with ribbons hanging off. These things wouldn't last an hour in my house!

Click to expand...

Mine either!! Harley would only think they were there for his enjoyment!!

My cats don't bother anything either! I am very grateful for that! I couldn't imagine not putting up a Christmas tree.

I'm not putting up a tree this year because I know my 7 month old ball of lightning would destroy it. The only tree in my place this year will be a kitty tree.

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

In the home I was working this past weekend, the family was putting up their decorations. It really reminded me of the difference in decorations for a families with and without kitties! They have angel hair on every table to enhance their decorative items, tinsel on the tree, garland strung about, bells hanging all over as well as items with ribbons hanging off. These things wouldn't last an hour in my house!

Click to expand...

That reminds me... I was watching HGTV Decorating Cents 100 Christmas Ideas...or something like that. They were decorating one tree, and instead of using tinsel they put a bit of glue on the tips of the branches and dipped them in glitter. First thing I thought of was "Wow, that would be great for a house with cats!" Sure enough, when they took the tree inside to decorate, there was a pretty black kitty sitting there watching them decorate the tree!

Yeah, angel hair, tinsel, garland, and ribbons? Not gonna happen in my house! They are good kitties, but they ARE still KITTIES!

That's a very creative idea, Heidi!

None of mine mess with the tree or anything on it either. I have only seen them under it a couple of times. maybe wer'e just lucky lol

Sunni never bothered the tree, just liked to sleep under it. With 7 month old Sophie Grace, I think I'm about to get a rude awakening.

All my christmas stuff is up high now.

I would normally agree with you, but look what I found last night.



Lily has found her new spot for the season

Originally Posted by valanhb

Wrapping presents can be a trick, especially if Trent notices I'm doing it. But I've found the way to distract him - he's a paper ripper, so if I use one of the little strips of scrap paper to distract him with and let him have it he will happily rip that bit up and not even notice that Meowmy is speed wrapping the other presents.

Ribbons are a bit trickier, but I can still manage to distract him with more scraps of paper if necessary.

Click to expand...

I hear ya. My wife and I had a cat that was absolutely obsessed with ribbons and presents. Every single time you had to wrap a present, he'd whine pitifully for a chance at the ribbons.

Sadly, he died last Spring -- now we can never wrap another present without thinking of him...

I've never had much of a problem.

Mostly I don't do a tree when there are kittens -- Shasta was the exception, but she was my first, I didn't know any better, I sunk a natural tree in wet sand in a cinder block (VERY stable tree stand!), then decorated it as I always had (I told you I didn't know any better ) -- and it was FINE! She was marginally interested in the tinsel, but that wore off quickly, and thankfully she didn't eat any.

By the time there were more kittens in my life (22 years later!) I knew better than to be quite so blithe about the whole affair, and we decided to forego the tree for that year, and just use garlands placed high enough that the kitties wouldn't bother them. Same thing with the next pair.

Other than the kitten years, the tree sits and does its thing. Most years it's been a small tree on a table -- not that that would stop them if they really wanted to check it out. I don't put the "precious" ornaments on the bottom, but I do use them. They really don't pay much attention.

I was a little worried about putting up a tree, but Kitty proved me wrong. I got a little 4 ft. tree (fake) and put it up on a 2 ft table. She watched me decorate it and likes to stare at the lights. She's a little interested in the tinsel, but basically leaves it alone. I haven't tried making the lights blink yet, I'm curious to see what she'll think of that.

No, Limerick use to plat with the tree, but we put on less ordiments and put them higher in the tree. Able seems to be following his lead. Limerick, for some strange reason won't leave the tree skirt along. He will never let it just lay flat. It must always be a mess. I can't figure out why he's doing it.

Originally Posted by eburgess

No, Limerick use to plat with the tree, but we put on less ordiments and put them higher in the tree. Able seems to be following his lead. Limerick, for some strange reason won't leave the tree skirt along. He will never let it just lay flat. It must always be a mess. I can't figure out why he's doing it.

Click to expand...

I think I spoke too soon this year! I have the same problem with the tree skirt this year. It's a new skirt, so maybe they think it's more of a toy than the last one? And then last night I came home to find that *someone* (Ophelia) had partially taken the bottom part of the ribbon (3" think wired ribbon, so no danger to them) off.

Just when ya think you've got them figured out!