Kittens and Christmas trees ??

[thoughtsbecomethings]

Would I be mad to have a Christmas tree this year, have 2,5 month old kittens who climb, eat and destroy everything in their path!

As I have said the past be aware that if you put one up it is not a Christmas tree, but a kitten amusement park. If you are happy with that and have non-breakable decorations go ahead.

I've been lucky with cats/kittens and Xmas trees in the past - but I've not had valuable or breakable decorations, they've not been been left in the room with one on unsupervised and I've never had a wire chewer.

Your call really. I don't think you would be mad (Xmas is Xmas after all) but you might have to work a bit harder than previous years.

Perhaps put it up much closer to Xmas as well? They're not really supposed to go up early, even though many people have trees up at the start of December. And if you can bear to leave it until - say- the 22nd or 23rd the kits will be that bit older and maybe a tad more sensible.

When do you have them booked in for neutering? That might just calm them a bit as well - or at least they won't be as bad as they might otherwise be.

Sparkling cat is about 5 years old. Last year she launched herself into the Christmas tree and clung onto the branches. Then we had to remove all the bottom decorations as she tried to kill them.
I am thinking of not having one this year.

If I were you I probably wouldn't have one this year at least.

I've got a 12 week old kitten and I'm pondering the same thing. I think we'll be putting the tree up a lot later than normal and my fancy glass baubles will be staying in the loft!

Nothing us safe in my house at the moment :D

Well SparklingCat is an acknowledged nutter anyway isn't she?

True cozie. My big grey bonkers cat.

You can have one or the other but not both.

Good luck with that :-D We are investing in a small fibre optic tree this year due to my eight foot one ending up horizontal on many occasions last year. Not to mention lots of my pretty decs in pieces. Cats! ! :o

Memories of DP and I standing in our pjs untangling the cat from a knot of Christmas tree lights while eight foot up a tree come flooding back.

It is also worth noting that a real tree in a pot with earth etc is a litter tray waiting to happen with kittens.
Learned that one the hard way!

Thank you for all the comments,maybe a teeny tiny one, I can't even have flowers in a vase anymore.... Destruction !! Never thought two little kittens could cause such havoc .. But so adorable too.

Yddraigoldragon Same with tomato plants

If you do have a tree pleased can you set up a cam? It would cheer up anyone having a miserable time.

We're attempting the tree in a few weeks. Should be fun with a kitten. We already have an older boy but this year will be the first for kitty. Fun times ahead!

yep cats or kittens plus chrimbo tree equals how many times a day will mom pickit back up off the floor, didnt bother last year but year before my tree ended up looking decidedly dog eared by christmas day

We had 4x 9-wk-old kittens last year (we foster). I bought a tree in a pot, covered the soil in the pot extremely thoroughly with newspaper and then a red cotton cover, used mainly unbreakable decorations, put the whole thing on a low table and hung little metal bells off the bottom branches. Generally, they were so delighted to retrieve one of the bells that they didn't investigate much higher, and it went largely unmolested.

We've been wondering about this as it will be our first Christmas with cats. We normally have a Nordman fir in water on a coffee table in the corner, with the top tied to a hook on the wall shelves behind (habit dates back to toddler days). The cats normally have the run of that room while we are out during the day, they will be 15 months old and aren't too wild and playful. They haven't knocked anything much over to date (eg vases, photo frames). Think we might go for it but with non breakable decs only and fairy lights on static instead of twinkling mode.

If I didn't have the shelves behind to tie the top to I'm not sure if I would though.

Last year i had 2 cats and 7 kittens
Kittens took great pleasure in hiding behind the tree because they knew my little arms we're not long enough to grab them from behind unreasonably large tree
Apart from a few decorations batted from the lower branches and the odd poo on the tree skirt ( they were only 8 wks so I forgave them) they didn't bother with it much.
This year I have only 2 cats and 1 (not so kitten anymore) kitten.
I have no concerns about boycat or girlcat, the furry terrorist on the other hand we shall see

Luna(tic) is 7.5 months old and I'm worried about the same thing. We usually have quite a big real tree with tinsel and things. But she goes for everything! Plants, flowers, twinkly lights, spherical objects, cord or string like things.
It's going to be a disaster!!
She's also a big climber....note to self, have cat flap installed by December!

Our old cat, called Christmas, looooved climbing the Christmas tree and staring out from between the baubles and tinsel, then launching himself across the room to attack any stray curling ribbon and bows. Oh and he loved trying to fit in the stockings, fine when he was titchy but it got to the point where only his face would fit! He did this every year until he passed away at the ripe old age of 18.

lolzonline.com/image/funny_cat_756

Sparkling Cat was a bit like this.

Sorry cant do link- search for 'angry cat hijacks Christmas tree' on You tube- bloody hilarious how they try to coax the hissing growling cat down - it's having a whale of a time

We're going to have one, but not on the ground, and no breakable decorations or wires within leaping distance of cat!