How do I make the Xmas tree not a cat tree?

This stems from Ramanth's thread about keeping the dogs from pottying on the tree.
This will be Jax's first Christmas. He is such a wild man that I'm concerned about the Christmas tree. The last couple of years Paizly has climbed up the center of the tree and likes to hang out in there. When I caught her in there I'd get her out, of course. But I'm afraid Jax will turn the tree over.
Last year we set the tree up and never put decorations on it (boy are we lazy!). I want to put the tree up, because I want to take pictures in front of it for our cards to family and friends.
So any suggestions for me? I know it's probably about impossible. And I might just put only non-breakable ornaments on it, just to be safe.

Oh and btw, it is a fake tree.

I, too, have an artificial tree and I have a problem every year with Ming trying to mess with it. I have some help in that area as Mac will often sit below the tree and threaten Ming if he even comes near the tree. But he isn't always at his assigned post, so I keep the breakable ornaments near the very top of the tree, use no tinsel or garland, and kind of reinforce the bottom with heavy items on the stand so it won't easily tip over (it's also in a corner for that reason). We still have the occasional "accident", but nothing is hurt, especially the cats!:D

I have a fake tree with unbreakable ornaments and plastic icicles. Missy only sleeps under it!;) RB Sassy, however, her first Christmas was another story. :rolleyes: We had a real tree, which she only climbed once, didn't know how to get down, so never climbed it again. Every day, when I got home from work, the ornaments were GONE!:eek: By the time Christmas got here, I was literally throwing them back on the tree. As for the lights, many nights I went to light the tree and a strand wasn't lit. She had pulled out a bulb!:eek: She was only five months old then, and never touched the tree after the first year.;)

Fishing line! Seriously, anchor the tree to the wall, just tie fishing line around the trunk then run a piece over to the wall, where you can anchor in a discreet spot. Do at least two, three if you can, and that will make the tree much harder to tip over. It's either that or be prepared to be vigilant with a spray bottle when you are home, and keep him out of the room when you're not home! It's kind of easier to make the tree more stable use unbreakable ornaments, and let them explore until they are bored with it! No tinsel, though - you probably already know that can wreak havoc with kitty tummies, so it's best to avoid temptation!

:) Hey all I have to say is Good Luck && Can you Video all the activity with the kitties & the tree..:D keep us posted ok..

Only advise I have is use unbreakable ornaments and take lots of pictures.
I, myself, gave up on having a tree years ago. Something I do not regret, specially now with the terrible twosome: Chip and Chuck. :D:love:

I have not had a tree for many years as I know that the Kitten trio are steeplejacks by nature and they would all love to yell
TIMBBEERRR!!!
Karen's idea of reinforcing the tree sounds like the best solution to me!!!:cool::cool::cool:

We have never used tinsel since I've lived with Bruce. He doesn't like it, and I know how it is for kitties. Growing up we used it all the time.

I do like the idea of anchoring it to the wall with fishing line. I will have to have Bruce do that. It is in a corner so that would be super easy to do. It will also give me peace of mind for when we aren't home and I won't have to lock him up the whole time.
So that's the solution!! Thanks so much Karen. Anchor the tree and use unbreakable ornaments. That's too bad, because we have clear glass bulbs for each member of the family (us and the pets) that I have written names and the year on with a silver sharpie. Oh well, they can come out later on after Jax is more calm (will that ever happen? LOL).

I will do my best to have the video camera ready when Jax first discovers the tree. Hee hee :D

artificial tree... non-fragile ornaments...

My brother's family has a real Christmas tree. Milo likes to lie under it but (knock on wood) he's never tried to go *up*.

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Originally Posted by catmandu

I have not had a tree for many years as I know that the Kitten trio are steeplejacks by nature and they would all love to yell
TIMBBEERRR!!!
Karen's idea of reinforcing the tree sounds like the best solution to me!!!:cool::cool::cool:

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I'm thinking that Tubster Panther could take care of this for you by himself ... or maybe with a little help from Miquelito?! I'm laughing as I picture this :eek::eek:!

:) Do be carefull with the fishing line due to it is a very fine durable line & can cut you & or the babies real easy if they start trying to chew on it & crossing it.. Lets maybe use some type of rope.. I know find some long shoe laces & tie all together to make a long one.. Or use a cloths line rope..

Here I have 10 cats (11 up to Aug 2008) and never had a cat climb a tree, real or artificial. Maybe I have abnormal cats? :eek: :D

Bat at the ornaments on the lower branches, oh yes. Even to th point of having them of and strewn around the house.
Sit under the tree and doze? Definitely!

Paws crossed, this year will be NO different around here.

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Originally Posted by lvpets2002

:) Do be carefull with the fishing line due to it is a very fine durable line & can cut you & or the babies real easy if they start trying to chew on it & crossing it.. Lets maybe use some type of rope.. I know find some long shoe laces & tie all together to make a long one.. Or use a cloths line rope..

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We usually put it high up enough so the kitties cannot get it. And it's strung tight and against the wall for the most part, so out of the way for people as well.

We anchored the tree to the wall as well and not just for kitties. Much better that way. Also plastic or unbreakable ornaments were on the bottom branches.

It's simple...dont' put up a tree!!! With 5 cats, I'd rather not decorate than have to clean up broken ornaments or dragging a cat to the vet to have the tinsel pulled from the cat's butt.

With so many cats, I haven't had a tree for years. However I might try this one. In the December issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine (pg 165), there is a string-light tree that is hung on adhesive hooks close on the wall. Martha used white lights with cut-out white stars for decorations. I might use green lights instead and hope the cats don't climb the walls.

I put up a tree every year. But if you close there is a cup hook in the cieling where I put the tree. A bit of fishing line to the top of the tree (50lb test) and plastic and foam balls near the bottom and we are ready to go. All so no tinsel.
The kids love the silk covered foam balls, we are very careful too make sure that when they start to fray the silk is removed now they have a foam ball to play with for a while. So far no one has climbed a tree but we go though about 8-10 balls a year.

Yes, I was going to put the fishing line toward the top of the tree and in the back where nobody would get to it.

Donna, I would not mind not putting up the tree, but we want to do pictures. I guess if it turns out to be too much of a problem I can just do the pictures and take down the tree. :)

I never had this problem with Taz. He was happy just to hide under the tree. That's where he spent most of his time when the tree was up. Then Paizly became the climber and I'm pretty sure Jax will be a terror as well. But you never know, maybe he'll surprise us? LOL :p

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Originally Posted by Karen

Fishing line! Seriously, anchor the tree to the wall, just tie fishing line around the trunk then run a piece over to the wall, where you can anchor in a discreet spot. Do at least two, three if you can, and that will make the tree much harder to tip over....

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Yep, the fishing line DOES work!!! That's what we use even though Sophie has lost interest in climbing the christmas tree, but we do it "just in case" :rolleyes:

The only problem we have had is I set the tree up in front of the bay window and I have a large scale train around it. They sometimes get ticked at the train for running through thier sleeping area. I have come home to a tree hanging about 2 foot off the floor and the train board tipped over. BUT no damage and no one is hurt.

Neuter the Christmas tree, it won't be so attractive to the cat?:confused::eek:;)

I don't put up a tree due to the kitties but MOSTLY due to putting up five trees in three stores, I'm pretty much done! I can attest to the fishing wire idea. That's how we secure tree's and wreaths at the store. Each thread holds about 30 lbs. I've never had any "cutting" issue as it's not that sharp. I do take out my breakable ornaments and hang them with ribbon across my sliding glass door at various levels. That's my decor.
Regarding pictures, come to my store and use our trees as background! LOL! Lord knows you wouldn't be the first! :rolleyes:
C

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Originally Posted by kitten645

Regarding pictures, come to my store and use our trees as background! LOL! Lord knows you wouldn't be the first! :rolleyes:
C

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I was actually in your store last night! Beautiful trees!! :D
But I couldn't bring the "kids" with me to take pictures. :( LOL

I've given up putting up a Christmas tree. I had a very pretty artificial one and a small one as well. I tried putting up the small one and Storm tried to eat it. He even tried to eat my reindeer that was made out of the same stuff so I gave up. I'm sure that Alani & Blaze would try to climb a tree if I tried again. I think the only tree I can put up is a picture of one on my refrigerator.LOL:) Good luck with yours.:)

http://icanhascheezburger.files.word...s-reindeer.jpg

Thanks for the laugh!

:D

LOL! Richard that was great!! :D :D

Well, the tree is up!! It is anchored to the wall and I put only decorations that cannot shatter if they hit the hardwood floors. I am not very pleased with how it looks, but Bruce said it looks good. And his mom stopped by and liked it (of course she would say she did even if it was a Charlie Brown tree :)).
I will post pictures later.
Oh! So far there hasn't been a kitty climber. They've both been around chewing on the branches. And Jax found the fishing line and tried pulling on it with his teeth. So we have to move the obstacle he used to get to it. :rolleyes:
So far so good, but that doesn't mean we're safe! LOL

Hee hee, the annual tree dilemma. I couldn't put up last year's fake tree because of Mystic (see photo) He bent the limbs too much and tore out a couple branches. So I took the old tree from work that has seen better days (so that if it happens again this year I won't fret)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...reinnocent.jpg
All my ornaments are shatterproof. I had a small handfull of glass ones that broke, so the meaningful ones are locked away.

This year, I plan on doing a photo essay of what happens to a tree when cats get involved. As they de-decorate, I will not replace anything. It should be good for a laugh by Christmas!

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Originally Posted by catnapper

This year, I plan on doing a photo essay of what happens to a tree when cats get involved. As they de-decorate, I will not replace anything. It should be good for a laugh by Christmas!

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That's what I was thinking of doing too! I took a picture before ornaments were put on, then after. And I thought I'd take a picture each week and see how it progresses. LOL We'll see if I actually do that though. :rolleyes: But I do not have as many ornaments as you. I only had 24 small shatterproof bulbs. Then I have bows and other ornaments I got from kids when I worked in day care. All of the breakable ones are still in the boxes.

When I am sitting watching TV I can tell when one of the cats is "munching" on the tree. The ornaments start to jiggle. LOL So far neither one of the cats have decided to climb it. But it has only been less than 24 hours. :D

Got a skil saw? Check this out from Maya and Inka's Mommy in General:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...=1#post2319164

:):D