On 10/18/2011 6:28 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> I asked this question elsewhere but got no answer. But I know there are a
> lot of cat people so I thought I would ask here.
>
> My deceased cat, Maui never messed with my Christmas tree. Of course for
> the first many years of her life, I only had a wall tree. I wasn't much
> into putting up a tree or taking it down and many years we went to my
> in-law's house in another state for Christmas.
>
> When my daughter was born, I decided she needed a tree. Had a real one that
> first year and artificial ones after. First a little one then big ones. I
> only used unbreakable ornaments until she was 4. I have some antique
> ornaments and we collect a lot that look like animals, flowers and other
> fancy things. I'm not so much into the plain ones.
>
> Well, Maui never bothered the tree at all. Or the presents for that matter.
> But she is gone now.
>
> Our two new cats are mom and baby. Mom just turned three and baby is one.
> Mom is somewhat curious but not that bad. Baby however just had a growth
> spurt and can now climb to new heights. She is into anything and
> everything. Because I make jewelry, I have some retail type racks for
> earrings and necklaces on my dresser. She was up there this morning batting
> the jewelry around. She also found the three little pumpkins that I bought
> for my daughter. They were in a net bag. She had the bag in her mouth and
> was dragging it around trying to get the pumpkins out. Mom seemed
> fascinated with the pumpkins as well and liked to sniff them.
>
> So I got to thinking... What might they do to a Christmas tree? The
> thoughts weren't good. So I told my daughter we would not put up our tree
> this year. Got a new one last year. Tall and slim. Pale pink with dark
> pink lights. Very pretty and goes well with our selection of ornaments.
> But I had visions of the baby climbing it, biting at the lights and batting
> at the ornaments. Daughter didn't think the wall tree would be safe either
> because where we put it on the wall is a place they could easily reach if
> they got into the window.
>
> So... I found a two foot high sliver tree with white lights and small
> plastic balls at Target. It's a little pathetic looking but seemingly
> unbreakable and festive. I bought it. Figured it would be easy enough to
> pick up and take elsewhere if the cats start biting the lights.
>
> But do you think I will ever be able to have a real tree again? Will the
> baby outgrow her curiosity? Are you able to put up a tree with real glass
> ornaments? I know she would try to eat tinsel. So I wouldn't use that.
> She did eat a piece of pink Easter grass. No clue where she got that from.
> But she did eat it and puked it. People have told me to hang the tree from
> the ceiling but I haven't a clue how to do that. And when I ask them what
> they mean by hanging it they just look at me like I am an idiot. One person
> said she just used a macramé plant hanger. I thought perhaps she meant that
> she was using one of those maybe foot high real decorated trees. But she
> said she had a really big one. That wouldn't work here anyway because I
> have low ceilings. I would have to have like an 8 inch tree hung close to
> the ceiling for them not to get to it. They can both jump really high. I
> am beginning to think that Maui was in some way abnormal. She just never
> jumped on things at all.
>
>
I didn't put up a tree for several years for a few reasons, and one was
young cats in the house. Last year I put one up and I do hang it from
the ceiling. It just means put a hook in the ceiling (a hook you hang
on the back of a bathroom door for a bathrobe works) and tie some
fishing line or other fine string around the top of the tree, and the
other end around the hook. The tree still reaches the floor and is in a
tree base. It prevents them from knocking it over. I hang unbreakable
ornaments where they can be reached by curious cats, but be careful with
the hooks. It doesn't stop from finding an ornament from higher up on
the floor now and then.