Cats+Christmas Trees+Climbing=Disaster

seattlepi.nwsource ^

[JoeProBono]

Last year as I sat admiring my beautiful ten-foot live Scotch pine tree adorned with a cat ornament collection, Lexie Lee took a running leap about four yards from the tree, landed half way up the tree and disappeared into the trunk. I am not sure whether my screaming caused her to come down the tree and exit back out into the living room (as if nothing unusual had just occurred), but I was sure glad to see her unharmed and the tree still standing. Then there was the year when Noelle knocked over a seven-foot tree while climbing to the top.

[JoeProBono]

Actually I am amused with cats climbing my Christmas trees (artificial cats that is)! My tree is decorated in a trail of beanbag-style gray cats that mischievously climb up into the top of the tree. An orange marmalade beanbag cat adorned in a red Santa hat sleeps on a branch near the top as well. I have heard many stories about people coming home to toppled trees, shattered ornaments and twisted lights. The cat or cats (chasing each other up the tree adds more fun to this once-a-year opportunity) may have cuts from glass or may have even eaten pieces of broken ornaments.

The simplest way to maintain an erect tree throughout the season is to anchor the tree. A sturdy tree base also helps and that is really what kept Lexie Lee from knocking over the tree last year. If you restrict the cat from the tree room when you are away from home, you will safeguard both the tree and the cat.

Do you have a toppled tree story starring your innocent looking cat?

[JoeProBono]

[6ppc]

Our cat likes to climb about halfway up and go to sleep in the branches.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[WayneS]

My parents had a very tall vaulted ceiling in the dining room of the house where I grew up. My father liked tall Christmas trees. The tallest we ever got was a little over 15’.

THAT is the tree one of the cats (a stout, black and white, ex-male 18 pounder) chose to climb to the top of, and to subsequently topple.

It was quite a mess. The cat, of course, came through the event unscathed; but there were a LOT of broken ornaments and light bulbs (we still ussed some relatively large-bulbed glass lights at the time).

[KosmicKitty]

Last time I had a live tree, it went over without the help of a kitty.

And, I had just filled the stand with water & there were a number of wrapped gifts under the tree.

It wasn’t a pretty sight!

[JoeProBono]

[RightWhale]

Tie the tree to sturdy wall anchors or hang it from a massive ceiling anchor.

[Slings and Arrows]

It's a great time to be Jewish.

[JoeProBono]

[N. Theknow]

Do you have a toppled tree story starring your innocent looking cat?

Nope.

On advice from my Father-in-law who always had cats, we had only Blue Spruce Christmas trees.

Cats don't care for them at all.

[JoeProBono]

[ChowChowFace]

Bump

[JoeProBono]

[GovernmentShrinker]

When I was about 10 years old, we got a new kitten a few days before Christmas. Some family friends had a litter and “Pumpkin” was the scrawny little runt. We had a decent size, real tree that year. First night Pumpkin was home there was a loud crash in the middle of the night. She must have climbed all the way to the top and then starting swaying big time, because no way did this little kitten weigh more than 10-12 ounces.

I use an artificial tree, and it is always securely anchored to the living room wall of my 4 cat home.

[LottieDah]

I have three cats and don’t put a tree up anymore. I have decorated my home with Christmas wreaths (for the pine smell) and ceramic trees that light up. No cat+ Christmas trees+climbing disasters at my house.

[Puppage]

[JoeProBono]