Cat climbing on christmas tree

[Acrosstheuniverse123]

We have a four month old kitten and have just got the christmas tree out. As I should have know, and expected, she is obsessed with the tree, climbing it, nibbling on the decorations , etc. There isn't anywhere else to put it other than to place it in a room where we won't see the tree. Or shut her out of the room all the time. Any tips? Do I say goodbye to the tree or pack it away?!! Help.

We've had our rescue cat a month. We usually have a real tree but got an artificial one this year so the cat wouldn't climb it. We clearly have a lot still to learn 😂. She climbs it despite the fact it isn't strong enough and sways madly whilst she's in it.

Oh dear, this is what we've clearly got coming to us. Old cats were fine and showed no interest, apart from the odd bauble if on a low branch. New mini-beasts (6 months) are manic at the best of times and have already destroyed curtains and a clothes horse through using them as a climbing frame.

I don't mind for us, but DS usually has his own tree with lots of twee animal decorations, and they're going to be the first to go. Best get him prepared!

Indeed. Does he like the kittens?

My 8 month old is the most enormous destructive force known. So no tree but I have got a variety of wall-decorations and window decorations. I'll perhaps reconsider and maybe get a tree with lights that are part of the tree so as not to worry about strangling. He's got a few years of silliness left to go I'm sure but for this year just not worth it.

We brought our two 5 month old kittens home from the rescue centre the day before Xmas Eve and they spent the whole time up in our Xmas tree. We started taking the baubles from the bottom to stop them playing with them but found we had to keep removing them higher and higher until In the end we had an almost bare tree with two kittens hanging out of the branches! We gave up with the tree that year. Now they are 6 and happy to snooze under it.

Icequeen that's a very cute story and they are particularly adorable fluffballs, they look so snuggly!! So in about 6 years I might be able to have a tree then...

Loving the cats in trees pictures and Ice they are completely adorable.

Elizadolittle - yup 6 years should just about do it 😀

Off to get my Christmas tree tonight. Will let you know how mine finds his first Christmas tree...

Thanks Lilly2017. I'm full of cold and have one snuggling with me at the moment. So sweet.

They look so wonderful in that picture that I'd buy them their own tree to demolish.

Oh god - I've just bought my tree home, all netted up, and after prowling round it for a while my two have actually climbed the netting to try to get at it

Thing is, this is their third Christmas and they've left the tree alone before, but I've since moved to a house with lots of trees around which they love spending time in

I'm going to regret this aren't I ... ??

I might be trying this
We've already had to cover the bottom step in clingfilm to try to stop scratching.

Ive just posted this on my Heidi thread, but after 3 days of no interest all of a sudden....I may be removing the lights today....

I’m convinced that Christmas trees are the reason for most bad behaviour in cats. In December we get them the best, most glorious cat toy in the whole world, ever. An indoor climbing and hiding thing with chewy bits and balls to smack around the floor and tinsel bits for kicking. And the cats are in heaven, thinking that their families finally truly understand their needs. It’s the best.

And then in January, the toy is cruelly ripped away and the poor moggies are left with empty hearts and forced to make do with primitive trees in the cold, wet outdoors without so much as a scrap of tinsel.

This is why they pee on our stuff.

I've got 6 cats, an 8ft tree, and a ton of garland and light displays elsewhere. Last year they were obsessed with the decs and took a water spray to the face so often that they ended up just opening their mouths and drinking it when it came at them. This year they've left it all alone so far, although I do come down every morning to find the tree skirt halfway across the room, so there's definitely some shenanigans going on. Bloody cats. One of them likes to protest pee so I'm fully expecting to find some puddles around all this shiny change of their living areas.

I don’t know if someone’s mentioned or not yet but tinsel can be dangerous to cats. Probably wise not to give them some to play with.

My stupid cat is totally not bothered at all by the Christmas tree, or the low hanging baubles, or the tinkly lights! Guess I’m lucky.

I'm trying the 'gradual approach'.

The tree was put up - undressed - last night. It's still in one piece and upright today.

Mine just thinks it’s a good place to puke under currently!

No climbing here, but I have discovered a number of brutally dismembered woodland creatures (tree ornaments, not real ones) and woke to the sound of a bauble being batted up and down the hallway yesterday. We now have a tree with a completely undecorated bottom part which looks rather odd.

Our tree is still intact.