Do you have a Christmas tree?

JenL's thread about Christmas decorations got me thinking. I am wondering how many people with cats are able to successfully put up a Christmas tree each year. When it was just Trevor he'd go underneath and just take a nap. He never was enticed to bother anything on the tree. When Andy came along three years later that was a different story. He knocked all of the ornaments off and tugged and tugged on the light cords. I gave up having a tree after that. By New Year's Day all of my decorations and lights were on the top third of the tree. :rolleyes: How about you? Can you still have a tree or don't you dare attempt it?

No, It Would Just Be A Found Cat Target, Aand I Am Too Old To Keep Picking Things Up, That The Cats Knock Over.

Yes, we still do! Of course, not ALL of my kitties are allowed downstairs during the holidays! I won't name names, but a couple of kitties who closely resemble So Small and Harvey (clears throat) would NEVER be allowed around the tree. Last year when So Small was um ... "so small" he basically lived in the tree. This year he would definitely knock it over along with his accomplice in crime ... Harvey! :rolleyes:

Sassy is enjoying climbing in it this year, but so far hasn't caused too much damage. She also enjoys sleeping under it! The littlest ones, Sahara and Tiger have only been exposed to it a couple of days and I still haven't seen either one of them playing in it .... YET! ;)

Usually by Christmas though, it doesn't have quite as many ornaments and is a little worse for the wear! :D

We put up a tree every year without major incident. But its been one heck of a tank of an artificial tree ;)

We plan to go real this year.... I'll let you kow what happens ;)

My cats are good with the tree for the most part. Jimmy needed a reminder (with the water bottle) this year, but after two squirts of water he's left it alone. The rest of the cats have totally left it alone, they just like to lay under it.

WOW! You had a tree last until New Year's? How'd you do that? I haven't had a tree in more years than I care to count, since Goldie was a couple of years old - I tried, I really did, but the one year she broke 21 ornaments in one day was the capper. No tree since then. I do decorate - I even decorate the cats. They hate it, but I love a challenge! :D

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Originally Posted by RedHedd

WOW! You had a tree last until New Year's? How'd you do that? I haven't had a tree in more years than I care to count, since Goldie was a couple of years old - I tried, I really did, but the one year she broke 21 ornaments in one day was the capper. No tree since then. I do decorate - I even decorate the cats. They hate it, but I love a challenge! :D

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Oh the answer is all plastic ornaments! :D They sell shatterproof ornaments now that look so real! I got a ton at the craft store last year after Christmas for a song -- they're very pretty and will never break! :D :p

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Originally Posted by kimlovescats

Yes, we still do! Of course, not ALL of my kitties are allowed downstairs during the holidays! I won't name names, but a couple of kitties who closely resemble So Small and Harvey (clears throat) would NEVER be allowed around the tree. Last year when So Small was um ... "so small" he basically lived in the tree. This year he would definitely knock it over along with his accomplice in crime ... Harvey! :rolleyes:

Sassy is enjoying climbing in it this year, but so far hasn't caused too much damage. She also enjoys sleeping under it! The littlest ones, Sahara and Tiger have only been exposed to it a couple of days and I still haven't seen either one of them playing in it .... YET! ;)

Usually by Christmas though, it doesn't have quite as many ornaments and is a little worse for the wear! :D

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OK, me and my big mouth. I forgot that my boy Redfurd was now downstairs! :rolleyes: Right after I posted the above, I went into the living room to find this!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...masRedfurd.jpg
:eek:

Heh... We are going to forego the tree this year. :(

Last year, we were celebrating with my in laws. MIL, SIL, and I spent all day putting up the tree, putting up ornaments, decorating the house, etc. Then, I couldn't find Soni. I searched everywhere and then I heard the tree rustle and saw some movement. Upon closer inspection I discovered Soni freaking out in the tree like it was nip or something. :p He managed to break three ornaments last year. :o

Until we got Cami we had always gotten a real Christmas tree (minus the tinsle of course), however last year we just didn't feel in the 'mood' for decorating so we didn't get one. In previous years, I just made a point not to hang fragile dangly ornaments near the bottom of the tree, and frequently the cats would nap under it. Actually my bigger problem is getting the cats NOT to unwrap the presents by pawing at ribbons & bows & folds in the packages underneath.

We'll plan on getting a tree this year in a week or two. This will be the first year for a tree for Cami, and I'm not sure it's going to go well as she is the most avid counter cruiser and 'get into anything and everything she's not supposed to' kind of cat. lol *crosses fingers* ;)

This is our first year with Potter, I put the tree up and he was getting up close and looking like he wanted to get into mischief, I scolded him a few times and he has stayed away from it as far as I know.

My rb gigi didn't ever bother with our tree.

I do put up a 6' artificial tree every year decorated with about 400 lights and tons of ornaments. Max shows no interest in it, after all, he's an old English Gentleman and does not partake in such frivolous activities. :rolleyes:

When Speckles was here and in her younger years, she would run around the apartment and end up behind the tree with her head poking through the branches. How I wish I had gotten a picture of that. It was the cutest thing to see. She never tried to climb the tree and her favourite sleeping spot was on the tree skirt....safely tucked away underneath the branches.

My tree is not up yet but will be by the weekend.

I used to put up an artificial tree until I had cats. I haven't bothered to put one up since and I know that Storm would try to eat it :eek: and I certainly don't need to be rushing any of my cats to the ER in the middle of the night.:rolleyes:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24...masRedfurd.jpg

LOL! LOL! Oh Kim what a pretty kitty ornament you have in your tree, and so lifelike too! :p :p

Catlady711, I also have trouble with both of my boys pawing at the presents and they both eat ribbon so I can't even leave my gifts out. I used to either find little piles of colorful throw-up around or sparkly litter box contributions. :rolleyes:

We have TWO artificial trees and (so far) no problems with the boys. Sometimes they will nap under it, but for the most part both of them ignore it.

Last year I had some of those balls that are wrapped in ribbon on one of them and I found one on the floor with the ribbon unraveling, so I took all of those down and threw them away. Too tempting for Archy.

I do put a tree up and none of my girls have ever touched anything on it, to my knowledge. They do like to sit among the presents underneath the tree though.

I absolutely have to get one of those ginger ornaments that Kim has for this year! The tree is beatifully decorated anyway, but that just sets it off. Gorgeous!

When I lived in the apartment, just me and the cats, I had a small artificial tree, about 4 foot. The only thing they ever bothered was the preety tree skirt. Sparkle loved to charge it and get under it to hide. As soon as another cat or I walked by, she would dash out to "attack" (all in play mode). I spent a lot of time retrieving and replacing that skirt.

Since we bought the house, Dad and I put up a live tree, about 6 feet. I brought all the decorations from Dad's house; the ones I grew up with. The glass ornaments go up high, the plastic ones down low. The tree looks just like the ones we had when I was a little girl - except no garland, no icicles. The cats love to bat at the lower ornaments, and I often have 2 or 3 to pick up each morning. The one they love the MOST: a brass bell. They bat and ring the bell continuously. Once it drops off, that is no fun anymore and they move on to something else. I have never had them at the water, nor climbing the tree. Whew!

We don't put any packages under the tree. Again, goes back to when I was growing up; presents arrived overnight when Santa came.So I just never got in the habit of seeing presents under the tree.

I have a tree. The E's like to sit and watch it go up, not that they help in any way... :rolleyes: and they sometimes enjoy sitting under it.

But that is the extent of it. Sometimes they are so good... ;)

I am able to put up a tree and thankfully no kitty tries to climb it or destroy it. I do have Smokey, Gracie, Gabriel and Mystic who like to try to eat the limbs.

My mom on the other hand puts up a tree but we have to anchor it to the wall. The year that my grandmother passed away I helped her to put up the tree and two days later at midnight she called crying hysterically because the cats (she has 8) had taken the tree down and dragged it to the basement...ever since that year we have anchored it to the wall.

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Originally Posted by Killearn Kitties

I absolutely have to get one of those ginger ornaments that Kim has for this year! The tree is beatifully decorated anyway, but that just sets it off. Gorgeous!

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You can borrow him, but ya can't have 'im! :D

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Originally Posted by kimlovescats

You can borrow him, but ya can't have 'im! :D

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Oh, OK! Just send him over for Christmas then, and I will send him back in the New Year. :D

We've decided not to have a tree this year. Willy and Willow are still pretty young and have been bent on destroying every plant in the house. We'll try next year when they are older.

We usually wrap fishing line around the tree and secure it to the wall. That way, if the cats knock it over, it won't crash to the floor.

I have NEVER had a problem with Don Juan climbing my Christmas tree, possibly because it is only 18 inches (about 45 cm) tall. ;) But, it's going in my planned yard sale, as Zerlina tried to eat it last year. :confused:

Some of the stores around here sell small rosemary bushes for Christmas trees. I may invest in one of those. Not poisonous/harmful to kitties, plus it smells nice. :D

Liz

we will be getting a Christmas tree soon. when we only had Miagi, he would love to investigate the Christmas tree and thinks the ornaments are toys. :rolleyes: now we have Miagi and Tiger and they both think the ornaments are toys and that the tree is a jungle gym. :rolleyes:

Pumpkin and Zippy both think it is a new toy.Mostly Pumpkin.No tree this year maybe next year.

I have an artificial tree that is put up every year. But for a short period of time only. We put it up about the week before Christmas, and take it down the week after.

Psssttt! hehe, "presents tagets" hehe, I think it would be difficult for a dog to climb the tree. However, if anyone has any pics of their pup attempting, I'd be glad to see them! ;)

I got rid of our tree 2 years ago. We got tired of picking up ornaments off the floor every morning!


Now I must admit, I do miss a tree, this year I am thinking of one of those 4' tll, pre-lit ones - without any ornaments. Yoshi will be upset, but he will have to deal with it. He is the "terrible" one when it comes to Christmas trees, presents, bows, ribbons, etc.

Have you ever tried to wrap presents with a cat around?! Ha!

The Christmas tree seemed to bring out the kitty in all 3 of my guys. The really loved the skirt underneath.........it was never straight!! Always had a kitty under and on top!! :rolleyes:

No, I gave up years ago. I tried everything, even the 1/2 ones you attach on the wall. It was all just too much work. I put out decorations, but gave up on the tree.

We always get a real tree every year!! It is a tradition, that hubby and the boys go and cut one down, and drag it home. I couldnt imagine christmas without one!! Although looking at how crazy Loki is, i am wondering how long the tee will last!!:rolleyes: