A classic cat game...

[cats4ever]

...kill the Christmas tree.
After not having a Christmas tree for almost 10 years, I thought I would give it another try.
I got one for 1$ at the dollar store, taped it on top of a lit glass cube (out of cat reach), decorated it, and all was well.
This morning, at 4:30am, a loud noise, mixed with cat screams, woke the whole house. Glass cube (luckily intact) and tree had crashed to the floor, ornaments everywhere.
What was I thinking, a tree in the house of cats?
Monroe is the main suspect, but he wouldn't talk, even under those hot lights.

[Randi]

Ha ha ha, that's SO typical! Anything new in the house HAS to be investigated to see how much damage it can make. I think you need to get a huge one, reaching to the ceiling, so you can fasten it there.

We only had a Christmas three once while Fister was here, but it was tall enough for not tipping over, or should I say, Fister was polite enough not to wreck it. Other times we had cut-off branches in a big vase, that he really enjoyed... it must have felt like being in the yard.

[cats4ever]

Ha ha ha, that's SO typical! Anything new in the house HAS to be investigated to see how much damage it can make. I think you need to get a huge one, reaching to the ceiling, so you can fasten it there.

We only had a Christmas three once while Fister was here, but it was tall enough for not tipping over, or should I say, Fister was polite enough not to wreck it. Other times we had cut-off branches in a big vase, that he really enjoyed... it must have felt like being in the yard.

Or I have to invest in a metal tree, or remain treeless, or get a separate house just for the tree.

[Catty1]

Or I have to invest in a metal tree, or remain treeless, or get a separate house just for the tree.

Well, you already have a house for the cats so what's one more?

Many years ago my then boyfriend and I got a Christmas tree. And we had a cat. You know what happened!

My bf went to the hardware store. He got a large hook that screwed into the wall and then some poly rope to tie around the tree and then attach to the hook. Worked like a charm.

I hope you get to have your tree. You deserve it!

[Chatanuga]

2007 was my first year with Chessie and Casey. It was also my only year without a Christmas tree. The following year, I decided to put the tree up in my upstairs home office since the window faces the front of my townhouse and the door can be closed to keep the cats away from the tree. So, I got the lights on the tree and, with no ornaments on it, let the cats in to see how they would behave. Chessie went up to it and just stared up at it wide-eyed at all the little lights, which on that tree were 900 with an 11-light star. Casey went under the tree and started rubbing against the trunk, causing the whole tree to start swaying from side to side. At that point, I decided to keep the cats out of the room until the tree came down in January.

In 2010, I adopted Smokey after losing Chessie. I already planned on not letting the cats in the room with the tree, especially since Smokey tends to get into everything to check things out. So, that December, I step out into the hallway and shut the door to the room behind me. Only thing was, the door didn't latch. Smokey was up there and began pushing on the door. I turned around just as the door popped open, and he went trotting right in. I ran in after him and grabbed his back half just as his front half was starting to go up into the fully decorated tree. Luckily nothing happened, and since then, I'm very careful going in and out of that room since he still wants in from time to time and tries coming in as soon as the door starts to open. I also make sure the door is latched shut. Thankfully, they can't turn doorknobs.

Kevin

[mon]

What a coincidence! Just had this conversation 10 mins. Ago with my husband. To tree or not to tree... that is the question. We both agreed it would be insanity, just one more thing that would get destroyed with great glee and enthusiasm! Kinda sad but, oh well. Maybe put one on the balcony?

[Karen]

I guess Monroe didn;t get the "out of cat reach" memo!

[cats4ever]

I guess Monroe didn;t get the "out of cat reach" memo!

He usually doesn't get any memos at all. I guess mom forgot about that!