Dear Cat

[indysteel]

Thankfully, our young cat really only seems to care about the tree skirt. We don't even try to keep it around the tree at this point. She enjoys playing with it too much. Still, we don't put anything breakable on the lower branches, and we secured the tree with a rope knotted around an otherwise well secured curtain rod. A number of years ago, I had a tree that I decorated solely with little white lights and velvet bows that tied around the branches on the off chance that my then-young Sophie Kitty would destroy it. The tree was plain but pretty and there were no emergency trips to the vet.

[Becky]

Thankfully, our young cat really only seems to care about the tree skirt.

Ours too! They love to sleep on it, roll up in it, and hide under it. I can't for the life of me figure out why the tree skirt is more fun than a blanket

[indysteel]

Ours too! They love to sleep on it, roll up in it, and hide under it. I can't for the life of me figure out why the tree skirt is more fun than a blanket

At least at our house, the tree skirts moved across the hardwoods a bit better than your average blanket. She often does a flying leap onto them so that they'll skirt (pun intended) across the floor.

DH took some adorable pictures of our kitten playing with the tree skirt the other day; I'll have to post them.

[zoom-zoom]

We couldn't have our pre-lit artificial tree up for 2 years. Young crazy cat wouldn't leave it alone. The first Christmas we had him he was maybe 8 months old. He took one look at that tree and took a flying leap. 5 minutes after putting it up we took it down. The next year he was still insane, so we didn't put it up.

He has calmed-down considerably, especially in the past year. So now we don't worry about it. Last year we put it up and he would lay under it for hours looking up at the lights. I don't think he even batted at a single ornament.

[Catrin]

At least at our house, the tree skirts moved across the hardwoods a bit better than your average blanket. She often does a flying leap onto them so that they'll skirt (pun intended) across the floor.

DH took some adorable pictures of our kitten playing with the tree skirt the other day; I'll have to post them.

I just pictured this, it made me laugh out loud, thanks for the mental image. Looking forward to the pictures

[indysteel]

I'm a Luddite, so I hope I attached this image correctly. This is Izzy under the tree skirt. In my humble opinion, she is the cutest kitten ever.

[indysteel]

Help! Why is the picture so big and why is it attached as a thumbnail, too? I knew I should have waited for DH to help me!

[Catrin]

Awwwww, she is just adorable and looks SO much like your avatar! She is the spitting image of your beloved Henry (if I remember the name correctly).

[indysteel]

Awwwww, she is just adorable and looks SO much like your avatar! She is the spitting image of your beloved Henry (if I remember the name correctly).

Thanks! Henry is my avatar. He's bigger and more of a buff color. Izzy is more orange and has a perma-kitten quality about her. Personality-wise, Izzy is a trouble maker, while Henry is a love bug.

[Becky]

That is an excellent photo, Indy!

[bmccasland]

Just want to you know that y'all are scaring me. Chloe is 7-8 mo old..
Still debating whether or not a tree will go up at my house. It is artificial, with lights, so maybe I'll start with just the tree...

[VeganBikeChick]

Indy, I love that photo of Izzy! That'd be an awesome Xmas card

[indysteel]

Just want to you know that y'all are scaring me. Chloe is 7-8 mo old..
Still debating whether or not a tree will go up at my house. It is artificial, with lights, so maybe I'll start with just the tree...

We put our tree up last year when Izzy was about that age and she didn't bother the tree at all. Again, it was the tree skirt that she fixated on, although we did make sure to hang breakables up high and tightly secure any hooks. We also kept a spray bottle of water handy to squirt her if she did mess with the tree itself.

[marni]

we are used to keeping the lower third of the tree bare of everything but lights and don't mind putting down several layers of tree skirts (tablecloths and colored sheets) for the kitties to play in on and under, they love lurking underneath, especially if there are prezzies to leap over around or "accidentally" knock out to skid across the hard wood floor, as they jump out and attack passing ankles, and small dogs. Poor
Weena the corgie was so terrorized last year that she avoided coming into the front room until the tree was gone, and after we took it out, the cats were terribly irritated.

Fun times.

marni

[colby]

we are used to keeping the lower third of the tree bare of everything but lights and don't mind putting down several layers of tree skirts (tablecloths and colored sheets) for the kitties to play in on and under, they love lurking underneath, especially if there are prezzies to leap over around or "accidentally" knock out to skid across the hard wood floor, as they jump out and attack passing ankles, and small dogs. Poor
Weena the corgie was so terrorized last year that she avoided coming into the front room until the tree was gone, and after we took it out, the cats were terribly irritated.

We do the same thing - we hang "cat things" at the bottom of the tree (ornaments that can't be damaged and we don't mind them playing with - bells on strings, etc) and anything that shouldn't be touched farther up. We have an artificial tree, when we had cats and a real tree the troublemakers would climb up the middle; you can't predict that until you have seen it, though, the cats I would EXPECT to do that weren't the ones doing it. We also have to move their cat tree away from the tree-tree (cat tree is 6ft, tree is 7ft) so they don't dangle off the edge of it to mess with stuff.

They do love to snuggle on the tree skirt.


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