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Post by rrp23 on Nov 9, 2017 14:36:32 GMT
This is our first christmas with our young cat. Im nervous about it already! He is a playful and mischievous lil guy!
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scrappert
Prolific Pea
RefuPea #2956
Posts: 7,811
Location: Milwaukee, WI area
Jul 11, 2014 21:20:09 GMT
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Post by scrappert on Nov 9, 2017 14:42:36 GMT
We put up the fake tree. Before we got any ornaments on it, he was in the tree. At the top. Our little angel. Did not put any ornaments on that year. Just lights. <---- That's the angel there.
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eleezybeth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,784
Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
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Post by eleezybeth on Nov 9, 2017 14:58:25 GMT
Ugh! Having this same conversation this morning with our little 6 month old who has learned how powerful her back legs really are. I have the tree laying in the hallway as I'm trying to figure out a pretty base for it this year. Her interest is WAY to high.
We've been arguing with her over her right to be on the table, counter, stove, top of the cabinets, on top of us, on top of the children. Usually, she responds to the spray bottle but it does not deter her for long. I have tin-foil on the counters and the table.
Our old cat died last January and she was seriously the best cat ever. She loved laying on the tree skirt and looking up at the lights - but never climbed or had any interest in the ornaments. I know this kitten will soon compete with that title in a couple of years. But, I'm planning on being as jolly AF this year and I'm worried she is going to destroy it.
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,647
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Nov 9, 2017 15:02:27 GMT
My friend has cats that are perfectly well potty trained and never go anywhere but in their litter boxes, until she puts up her tree each year. They think it's a litter box. She's so frustrated!
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Post by bratkar on Nov 9, 2017 15:21:23 GMT
I've been married 24 years... we haven't had an actual Christmas tree in 23 years, since we have had cats at all points of our marriage. The first year the two we had at the time, who took down the tree and removed every ornament they could. The next year began my collection of table top trees... all different kinds with different theme's. Sadly all our ornaments still sit in a box in the attic.
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Post by Linda on Nov 9, 2017 15:40:34 GMT
I've had cats for 25+ years...only once have I had an issue with a Christmas tree...that was back in 1997 when I had two young kittens and two year-old cats and some-cat(s) knocked over the artifical tree which broke the tree stand and some ornaments. I've had kittens since and no problems although we have had an artifical tree all but one year (when we had a living tree). Occasionally some-cat will bat at an ornament but mostly they just curl up on the tree skirt for a nap.
we've always had more than one cat at a time though and I think they tend to entertain themselves better that way and cause less trouble...
[of course, I say that remembering waking up yesterday morning to pink pawprints across my dining room table, across the floor to the living carpet, across the living room carpet and up on to the (fortunately slipcovered) couch because DD11 forgot to clean up from her art project and Oreo (who is 15 and old enough to know better) got up on the table and walked through the paint palette...I know it was him because his paw was pink too]
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Post by Tammiem2pnc1 on Nov 9, 2017 15:44:14 GMT
We have to anchor our tree to the wall with the one current cat we have now. The other one climbs up and sticks her head out of the middle of the tree. But for the most part they just like to lay under it and sleep. Our first year with him, this was our main tree: tree by Tammie OKeefe, on Flickr The 2nd year with him we got a little tree for the kids and before we could anchor it, it was down: Christmas tree by Tammie OKeefe, on Flickr Here is the culprit with the tree, missing a few ornaments and messed up garland: tiger tree by Tammie OKeefe, on Flickr Since we started anchoring the trees we've had no issues. I just put hard to break ornaments near the bottom of the tree and if he knocks them down it's not a big deal. He's 3 this year so I'm hoping he's over the whole tree fascination thing...but I doubt it...LOL.
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Post by librarylady on Nov 9, 2017 15:50:04 GMT
Tammiem2pnc1 --We have had the same cat, only a different color. :0 Our Sylvester cat (looked like the cartoon cat) would run up the trunk and lounge in the limbs...every year. We learned that first year to anchor the tree to the window sill (2 cup hooks discreetly installed and string did the job). At that point, we always had a live tree. As soon as the tree was put in the house, it was as if he said, "Oh!! for me!! for me!!!" and went to the tree. He drank the water in the "bowl" of the tree and when he was not in the limbs, he lounged below it, sleeping on the tree skirt. The second cat lounged below but never climbed the tree. Like all cat owners--I learned to hang certain ornaments high in the tree.
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Post by Yoki on Nov 9, 2017 15:54:27 GMT
The year we had 3 kittens, we anchored our tree to the curtain rod with fishing line & made sure to put only soft, unbreakable ornaments on the bottom few branches. None of them climbed the tree that I know of, but they would bat the ornaments off the tree & chase them around the house. We still hang those on the tree and telling the stories about how a certain ornament was the favorite of a certain cat (and might look a little worse for wear) has become part of the tradition of decorating the tree.
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Post by melodyesch on Nov 9, 2017 16:51:00 GMT
We have to get a live tree. The first year we had our big orange cat we tried to put up my fake tree and he was trying to both eat and climb it at the same time. He never bothers a live tree. We were concerned when we added a cat last year, but she didn't bother the live tree either. She occasionally would bat at the lower hanging, non-breakable ornaments and will lay underneath it, but thank goodness neither of them try to climb. Meanwhile, my big, beautiful artificial tree is in the box in the basement.
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 9, 2017 17:03:20 GMT
My cat would scale the tree before we even got the top part of the tree added. He'd get pulled out and be disgusted with us. It was a nine foot tree, so we needed a ladder to decorate. We came to a bit of a compromise and I would leave the ladder out for him for a few hours so he could sit on the ladder next to the tree. It worked. He was a great cat.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 9, 2017 17:05:51 GMT
in the tree. At the top. Our little angel. LOL!!! that would be horrifyingly hilarious!! We have a fake tree that has little red berries at the ends of some of the branches- the ones near ground level are now white (the berries are white Styrofoam covered in red plastic, I guess), because they've gotten chewed on, lol. My parents always had a live tree; when my sister would come home for Christmas and bring her cat, the cat would hide underneath the tree and drink water out of the tree stand. I was never sure if that was healthy for him or not, with the pine tree sap / whatever in the water... but he lived until he was 19, so apparently it didn't hurt him. (every year, we ended up having to build a barricade of presents around the bottom edge of the tree to keep him out from under there. When it didn't work, it was always my job to crawl underneath the tree and yank him out. fun times, fun times! )
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Post by rrp23 on Nov 9, 2017 17:06:38 GMT
My friend has cats that are perfectly well potty trained and never go anywhere but in their litter boxes, until she puts up her tree each year. They think it's a litter box. She's so frustrated! 😲
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Post by rrp23 on Nov 9, 2017 17:09:09 GMT
The year we had 3 kittens, we anchored our tree to the curtain rod with fishing line & made sure to put only soft, unbreakable ornaments on the bottom few branches. None of them climbed the tree that I know of, but they would bat the ornaments off the tree & chase them around the house. We still hang those on the tree and telling the stories about how a certain ornament was the favorite of a certain cat (and might look a little worse for wear) has become part of the tradition of decorating the tree. This is brilliant!
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Post by rrp23 on Nov 9, 2017 17:11:58 GMT
Tammiem2pnc1 --We have had the same cat, only a different color. :0 Our Sylvester cat (looked like the cartoon cat) would run up the trunk and lounge in the limbs...every year. We learned that first year to anchor the tree to the window sill (2 cup hooks discreetly installed and string did the job). At that point, we always had a live tree. As soon as the tree was put in the house, it was as if he said, "Oh!! for me!! for me!!!" and went to the tree. He drank the water in the "bowl" of the tree and when he was not in the limbs, he lounged below it, sleeping on the tree skirt. The second cat lounged below but never climbed the tree. Like all cat owners--I learned to hang certain ornaments high in the tree. im going to try this.
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Post by Pahina722 on Nov 9, 2017 17:15:49 GMT
The first year with Loki and Morrigan, we bought a new, pre-lit fake tree. They didn't bother the ornaments, but one night, one of them chewed through the electrical cord for the bottom tier of lights while we were asleep. As a result, our Christmas tree that year only had lights for the upper two-thirds.
That's also when Loki lost his kitty mind because of all the new smells of packages arriving in the house and began spraying anything on the floor--including the wrapped gifts under the tree. And he's never stopped.
So that's my 10 year, ongoing cat and Christmas tree horror story.
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ModChick
Drama Llama
True North Strong and Free
Posts: 5,062
Jun 26, 2014 23:57:06 GMT
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Post by ModChick on Nov 9, 2017 17:22:23 GMT
Vader, who’s now 3 years old, when we first got him and his brother that Christmas he climbed the tree minutes after assembling, got himself twisted in the lights and he was limp by the time I got that darn lights from around his neck. Thank gawd that happened then while we were standing there. We are still traumatized so no tree for 3 years now. Well besides a hooky little mini not worth putting up tree. Lol. He’s a huge cat now so we thought we’d do a tree again but we just got two kittens a month ago so nope. I feel sad, especially for my son but not worth the stress.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 9, 2017 17:23:42 GMT
we also put the unbreakable ornaments on the bottom tier, and I hold my breath every year wondering if this will be the year the tinsely garland finally gets eaten. (so far we've been lucky in that regard)
ETA: even when we didn't put up a tree, we decorated with ornaments-- I bought a few long fake garlands, wrap them with white lights, and drape them above the windows / doorways. I hang some ornaments from the garland. Plus, I decorate the open space on top of the kitchen cabinets with my Santa and snowman collections-- thankfully, the cats can't jump up there!
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Post by katlady on Nov 9, 2017 17:26:36 GMT
One year we were setting up the tree and testing the lights. One minute the lights are all on, next minute they all went dark. Then the cat came darting out from under the tree, spitting out saliva! Yup, she had chewed through the live wire. She used up one of her nine lives that day. Even after that though, she still liked to sit under the tree and bat at the low hanging ornaments.
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casii
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,474
Jun 29, 2014 14:40:44 GMT
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Post by casii on Nov 9, 2017 17:30:37 GMT
Our older cats love to sleep under the tree. A tree skirt to them is a seasonal bed and they love it. They usually end up knocking a couple of the bottom ornaments off just because they are clumsy.
But this year, my just graduated from college daughter has brought home her one year old cat and he's a handful. I'm a little worried about what might happen. We may put up the tree with lights and wait to see how he reacts before risking ornaments. I have loads of vintage Shiny Brites and german class ornaments. No way I'm sacrificing those for a cat.
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Post by craftedbys on Nov 9, 2017 18:12:19 GMT
I have not been able to put any of my special or breakale ornaments for the last several years. For 21 years we had a cat who never once climbed a tree, bit after she passed every damn cat we have had has been a climber.
One of our cats liked to take a running leap and see how high he could get. Thwn the little brat would get in the branches and wait for the dog to wander by so he could attack from above.
We have a new kitten this year, and based on her energy level and mischievousness, it's going to be another Dollar Store ornament Christmas.
FYI, I read a tip online last year and tried it and it worked reasonably well. It said to go to the dollar store and get some of the citrus air freshener trees and hang them in the inner branches. Cats don't like the scent and will avoid.
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Post by phoenixcov on Nov 9, 2017 19:08:56 GMT
I was decorating the tree and sitting on the arm of the chair with the tinsel behind me. I turned slightly to grab a handful and got this instead. This was a few years ago now, I miss him "helping" me.
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Post by penguin on Nov 9, 2017 21:41:38 GMT
Fortunately, I don’t have any tree disaster stories, but one year my cat ate the beads that decorated our tree skirt.
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Post by pattyraindrops on Nov 9, 2017 22:03:23 GMT
Not a cat story, but the anchoring is reminding ,e of when my brother was little. He knocked down the tree 3 times. The third time my dad nailed the tree stand to the floor. (Wood floor above a basement).
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Post by leannec on Nov 9, 2017 22:54:32 GMT
Ella (aka Troublemaker) loves to play with the ornaments I've had to buy non breakable ones for the green dd's tree in the family room but she still sends those ornaments across the room For my white tree in the living room I just don't decorate the bottom branches ... it's just not worth it
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Nov 10, 2017 0:16:47 GMT
None of our cats have ever bothered the tree, including the 2 10 week old kittens we brought home a week before Christmas a couple years ago. No one has ever climbed the tree, they have batted at the occasional ornament, but the best part of a tree for them is wrestling on the tree skirt.
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Post by joblackford on Nov 10, 2017 0:30:42 GMT
Growing up my family had a small fake tree and we had 3 little bird Christmas ornaments with a few real feathers... Not the best idea. We ended up having to bungee cord the tree to a coffee table to keep the cat from attacking the birds and knocking over the tree. Maybe I'm mis-remembering the details, because you would think we would just not use the birds! But we definitely used bungee cords for a couple of years.
The cat had full access to the outdoors and real birds to hunt - I'm not sure if that makes it more or less likely that she'd scale the fake plastic tree for a few old feathers.
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Post by rrp23 on Nov 10, 2017 0:54:15 GMT
I have not been able to put any of my special or breakale ornaments for the last several years. For 21 years we had a cat who never once climbed a tree, bit after she passed every damn cat we have had has been a climber. One of our cats liked to take a running leap and see how high he could get. Thwn the little brat would get in the branches and wait for the dog to wander by so he could attack from above. We have a new kitten this year, and based on her energy level and mischievousness, it's going to be another Dollar Store ornament Christmas. FYI, I read a tip online last year and tried it and it worked reasonably well. It said to go to the dollar store and get some of the citrus air freshener trees and hang them in the inner branches. Cats don't like the scent and will avoid. thats a great idea!
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Post by rrp23 on Nov 10, 2017 0:57:57 GMT
Vader, who’s now 3 years old, when we first got him and his brother that Christmas he climbed the tree minutes after assembling, got himself twisted in the lights and he was limp by the time I got that darn lights from around his neck. Thank gawd that happened then while we were standing there. We are still traumatized so no tree for 3 years now. Well besides a hooky little mini not worth putting up tree. Lol. He’s a huge cat now so we thought we’d do a tree again but we just got two kittens a month ago so nope. I feel sad, especially for my son but not worth the stress. omg, thats terrible! I will definitely be watching my cat closely.
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Post by Zee on Nov 10, 2017 1:57:46 GMT
My kitten was just over two months old last Christmas. He was so wild. He climbed that tree every day and one day he chewed through the wiring on my pre-lit tree so half the tree went dark. He's lucky he didn't electrocute himself, little bastard.
My husband fixed the tree and kitty is much more sedate now, but now I have a 4 month old kitten and it's always playtime for those two. I might skip the tree this year.
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