Christmas trees and cats!

[JBalways2000]

Hi everyone, not been online for a while so hope all is well? :D

Im basically wondering if other cat owners still get away with having a christmas tree while having cats? I have four indoor cats and since getting them 3 years ago we havent even attempted to have a tree as ive had all sorts of images flash through my mind of them going nuts and jumping on it, pulling it down, spearing themselves on it, running off with decorations etc etc :lol: but im absolutely dying to have a tree this year and just wondered how others cope?

I thought that maybe if i got a pre lit christmas tree and put no or minimal decorations on it i might get away with it? but as i said, i still have images of them pulling it down or hurting themselves on it. Am i worrying over nothing? Unfortunately our house is open plan so i cant even close it in the living room while we arent in the house or something :? We do still hang decorations off the ceiling and the walls but it just never feels the same without a nice big christmas tree in the corner of the room.

Any advice?

[Kazz]

My two never bothered with the tree......so I am no help at all come to that the dogs either as pps or adult, nor the cats as kittens or adults did but my cats went out maybe inside cats..."expect" toys...things ot keep them amused whereas mine amused themselves.

Just get a tree......and keep the lights away from the base (incase one take to biting the tree) and decorate with unbreakable baubles lower down and you will be fine.

[Mags]

I can't remember how old your cats are now but I found Cassie very interested in climbing the tree in her younger days.:)

I found the best way to deter her was to make sure there were no direct routes that she could see up through the middle of the tree. To do this I 'filled' the middle with lots of green tinsel so that she couldn't see a way through the branches.

Also try not to hang tempting baubles within their reach or you will find them all over the floor the next morning!:lol:

Good luck, please let us know if you tree lasts the Christmas period! :lol:

[alexgirl73]

never had any probs with my 3 and a tree lol. good luck

[JBalways2000]

Thankyou all!:D and yep i pretty much decided that baubles would be a no go with my lot :lol:

the two oldest are 3 years and the other two are 2 years, but they all have a crazy moment *atleast* once a day:roll: :lol: as i said if i do get a tree il get a fibre optic pre lit one so they cant go chewing on any fairy lights lol think id just have to decorate with tinsel, or maybe look for a tree that is pre lit and has some pine cones or something attached too so that it doesnt look too bare.

Shall let you all know if i decide to get one-wish me luck! :lol:

[angieh]

Your post is very timely JB! I have always loved to have a real Christmas tree but have decided not to have one this year. Kizzy is new to me, although around 2 years old and I don't think that she would be much of a problem with the tree, but young Pip is into everything and is a climber born, so as I don't want chaos and a broken tree or injured paws I've decided on a nice table centre instead this year.

[Tina]

Get a tree!!

My 2 cats LOVE the Christmas tree.....they play under it, sleep under it, climb it, hide in the branches, knock it down, and run off with ornaments all the time......it's GREAT!!!!

:-D

[Leesy]

My 2 last year never bothered with the christmas tree to my surprise, I thought that they would with them both being so young, I thought that they would have been swinging from the branches and chasing each other up and down it, but NO they were just content knocking a few of the lower baubles about from time to time. I was abit dissapointed really LOL.:lol:

[kado]

I was going too get one but with having the kittens and now smokey is on cage rest thats where is cage is i cant have one.

[Phoenix]

Beauty was always scared of the Christmas tree so never tried climbing it.

Last year Dylan showed no interest in the tree whatsoever.

[angieh]

Pip tries to climb the clothes airer (with or without clothes on it) - he'd love a tree!

[Mags]

Go on Angie, give him a tree;) he would have great fun....... so would you!:lol:

[angieh]

Not sure I could stand the potential chaos, Mags. I always find Christmas very stressful (for no real reason). Come Boxing Day and I'm fine again.

[calismum]

My cats loved trees - great fun, personal playground.

Just a word about the prelit ones - Alfie used to put the little lights in his mouth - it always worried me he would break them and eat the glass. Pre lit tree would not give you the option of removing lights.

[dandysmom]

Mine never bothered the tree especially except once. I always tied it so it couldn't be knocked over; the one year I decided not to was the year Dandy knocked it over! Complete utter mess! But I use home made ornaments, not the glass ones. They never tried to climb it, but would knock off low hanging balls, and the static electricity would make the icicles cling to their fur. If you can secure it some way, I''d go for one.

[yola]

Even mental Myshka never really bothered with the tree last year, and we have a full-height one which also reaches quite low down! He did bat the baubles a bit which meant I had to put the plastic ones at the bottom of the tree.

The most damage occurs to the presents which I put under the tree when wrapped. I was constantly having to patch the wrapping paper and re-attach labels :-D

[Tina]

Just thought I'd make another point that many may not be aware of. IF you have a christmas tree and you have any pets, cats or dogs, should really avoid the tinselly icicles unless you're very syre your cat won't try to eat them. If eaten they can cause all sorts of damage by wrapping round kitty's (or puppy's) insides.

[dandysmom]

That's a good point, Tina. I've always had the icicles since childhood and none of the 7 cats over the years have ever eaten any. There is the problem of them sticking to the fur, but never eaten, as I said.

[Tina]

That's a good point, Tina. I've always had the icicles since childhood and none of the 7 cats over the years have ever eaten any. There is the problem of them sticking to the fur, but never eaten, as I said.

The majority of cats won't eat them......I expect they probably don't taste nice LOL! There are a few cats out there that will eat just about anything though.....I have one of those cats!:lol:

[dandysmom]

And I have Ms Picky!! :mrgreen: Although she is mellowing with age: chicken, ham and now shrimp have been promoted to edible!

[JBalways2000]

just wanted to thank everyone for the messages! :D I still havent gotten a tree, but i havent managed to get any decorations for christmas yet :oops: when i go to buy them i will see if i can find what i think is a suitable tree, i would still love to have one this year. i shall update if i do get one and let you all know how i get on with it and the cats! :D

[dandysmom]

Looking forward to that! Good luck with the cats!

[angieh]

I'm still fairly firmly against having a tree this year - but I will miss it - the one thing I like about Christmas really is decorating the tree and singing carols.

[pcspik]

None of mine have bothered with the tree. I have a fibreoptic tree which has pre-attached lights and the light changes colour. Tigger occasionally likes to watch the lights going round but that is about it. Pickle, like most things, takes no notice of it at all.

This year I bought a Christmas decoration which has lights flashing on and off, and a train going around the base (and optional music). Tigger likes watching the train go around and around so much so that I get bored of it before she does!

[JBalways2000]

Just to say that i have every intention of getting a christmas tree this monday :D hopefully my stinking flu wont stop me from getting it anyway:roll: i have bought lots of baubles and tinsel so just need some lights, tree and a topper! :lol: im so excited, we havent had a tree in over 3 years so we are really looking forward to dressing it up etc :D

Just wondered if anyone feels the need to weigh down their artificial trees? i keep getting images in my head of the cats jumping on it while we are out and it going crashing into the tv or something :shock: so wondering whether to get something to put on the base to keep it weighed down :?

ooh im just so excited! praying the crazy kitties dont ruin it for us by breaking it or anything around it:roll: :lol: i know for sure if we had something like a train going round and round it wouldnt last long in this house! :lol:

[angieh]

Good Luck JB! Your enthusiasm is catching - hope you will get loads of fun from your tree. Sorry about your flu.

I'm still sticking with my choice of no tree this year. It's sad, but perhaps next year when Pip is older.

[JBalways2000]

Good Luck JB! Your enthusiasm is catching - hope you will get loads of fun from your tree. Sorry about your flu.

I'm still sticking with my choice of no tree this year. It's sad, but perhaps next year when Pip is older.


Thankyou! :D Sorry your not able to have a tree this year, id sort of got used to not having one but this year i just really feel the urge. i realised its just not the same sitting down christmas day watching a movie and not being able to have the lights off and the christmas tree lights on-i love that! oh look at me, i feel like a big kid :oops: :lol:

[dandysmom]

Will your tree be in a location where it could be tied to something so it won't topple if the cats get in it? Mine was always by a high window in the living room and I ran a cord from it to the latch ... wasn't noticeable with all the ornaments.The one year I didn't tieit was the year Dandy knocked it over....:mrgreen:

[JBalways2000]

No unfortunately the only place that i have room for the tree in the living room is against the wall by the stairs so nothing to tie it to :? i did see an iron christmas tree base in wilkos a couple of weeks ago but think it may have been for a real tree not an artificial one.

[pcspik]

I have never had to tie down the tree so I cant help you that. The only suggestion I can think of (I dont know how practical it would be) is that perhaps you could weigh down each leg of the stand with a household brick?

[dandysmom]

That sounds as if it might work ... good suggestion!

[JBalways2000]

Just updating to say we have had our lovely tree up since monday evening and the cats are VERY interested in it :shock: Rhino has already managed to pull it down because he was trying to climb up the middle, decided not to, turned around, got tangled in the tinsel, panicked and ran bringing down the tree with him!!:shock: :lol: it was NOT funny at the time lol but they havent done that since. they are mostly interested in the baubles and have managed to get a few off and play with them :roll: naughty little boys! well, they wouldnt be cats if they didnt want to play with a ball would they?

on the up side we were out yesterday and the tree was still standing when we got back and they are leaving it alone during the night because they tend to settle down for the night when we do. just during their mad time that we have to watch them :roll:

guess it could be worse, hopefully they will get used to it and leave it alone otherwise i will be pulling some bricks off the wall :lol:

[dandysmom]

Cats being cats...... :mrgreen:

[Kazz]

My suggestion would be to secure the tree to the wall...by some means rope/string whatever in a couple of places near the bottoms and then about 2/3rd of the way up. Only put unbreakable baubles near the base....

[JBalways2000]

Just to say the cats have managed to pull the tree down about 5 times now :shock: which is even more annoying because its one of those ones that comes completely apart and you have to slot the branches in place, so every time they knock it down we have to take it all apart, take the lights and decorations off and start again :shock: so next year i will have to try and find somewhere better to put it up where we can try and attach it to the wall and perhaps even get a better tree that doesnt come apart like that!

saying all that i am still glad we got one because its made it feel more like christmas this year with one up-just a shame the cats are so curious! shouldnt have expected anything else though should i? :lol:

[angieh]

Well done for persevering JB! I couldn't have stood the added chaos and am very glad I didn't have one.

A real tree is my ideal - I just love them, so it was quite a wrench. Maybe next year ................ ?