Cats and Christmas Trees
Every year we face an uphill battle with our Christmas Tree. We have several cats that are absolutely fascinated by anything new in the house. These are outdoor cats and run around our trees outside like they are squirrels. So when they see a tree inside, they can resist checking it out. We have an artificial Christmas Tree but sometimes we get a live one just for a change. The cats know the difference and although any tree will do, they seem to prefer the live ones, probably due to the smell.
Now add some flashing lights, bubble lights that constantly provide live action, shiny colored swinging balls, hanging tinsel, and you have an irresistible new cat toy. And then there’s the presents under the Christmas Tree. We have one cat, a calico named Baby, who burrows into the pile and finds a great place to take a nap.
Our black cat, Blackie, prefers to climb up into the center of the tree for her naps. And then there’s the youngest cat, named Fluffy that wants to run and jump as close to the top of the tree that she can. Fluffy thinks she is Air Jordan and making the 10 to 12 foot leap is good for extra points. And it appears to be even more fun when Fluffy is chasing Blackie and they both hit the tree at the same time.
Some years our Christmas Tree goes down every other day. We’ve tried everything to keep the cats off the tree but nothing seems to work. Since we are typical cat owners, we’ve come to live with the chaos and just roll with it. Almost all of our tree decorations are sturdy by design and can take a few falls and still survive one more season. And I do take some extra time when I setup the Christmas Tree to make it difficult to easily knock over.
I have made some progress with the bubble lights. I’m sure you’ve seen the type I mean, I douse them with pepper spray now and that keeps Fluffy from munching on them. It’s not unusual to walk into the living room where the Christmas Tree resides and see Baby snuggled up in the presents, Blackie somewhere nestled in the branches, and Fluffy sitting somewhere near the top trying to decide her best way back down.
One year we put the Christmas Tree in the den and tried to keep the door shut so the cats wouldn’t be able to get in without someone being there to keep them at bay. But Fluffy knows how to get a door open one way or another. If you don’t make sure you shut it all the way it’s a piece of cake for any of the three cats to open. But Fluffy has figured out the doorknob and now it’s open season no matter how well you shut the door.
When someone new comes to visit during the holidays they are don’t notice the cats in the presents or on the tree until one of them makes a sudden move or noise. Baby especially blends in with the presents since she is a calico. And unless she moves, some think she’s either a stuffed animal or decoration. And once in awhile Blackie will poke her head out to see who’s there, now that can really catch unknowing visitors by surprise.
Our cat adventures have become part of the Christmas season and make for a little extra excitement on some days. Even on Christmas morning when everyone is opening presents the cats are right in the thick of it. Jumping into any open box, rolling in the wrapping paper, and playing with any ribbon to be found. Our cats love Christmas, they get to have a bunch of new toys and trouble to get into for several weeks.
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