Conference misery::feline

    
    	We have always tied the tree to the windows or wall or
    	something as an anchor. Always put unbreakable ornaments
    	on the bottom half of the tree. Tinsel is very dangerous
    	to cats, if they eat it, it will bind up and possibly cut
    	their intestines, every year cats die from tinsel. So please
    	consider removing the tinsel from your tree, your kitties
    	can't resist it and don't know better.
    
    	Sherry
     

    Hi Sherry,
    
    They did not pull the tree down, but they did knock of alot of the
    ornaments, garland and pulled down some of the lights.  Even the
    ornaments that were not breakable, ended up broken in one way or
    another.  Do you know of anyway to discourage this behavior.  I
    don't want to confine the two to one room only for all day and all
    night.  
    
    Kevin

    Have they got a "cat-tree" of their own? I'm talking about a floor to
    ceiling type scratching post with perches that is carpeted and or has
    sisal rope. Cats are naturally attracted to things that they can climb
    (so that they can perch way up high). Maybe if they have their own
    tree, they will leave the Christmas tree alone.
    
    Deb

    Tie the tree to the walls to prevent them from pulling it
    over.  Remove the tinsel, as it is deadly to cats/kittens
    if (when) they eat it.  Buy a product called "bitter apple"
    or "boundry" from your local pet supply store.  Spray the
    bitter apple on anything you want them to leave alone.
    Spray the boundry anywhere you want them to stay away from.
    (i.e. around the floor at the base of the tree.  Boundry
    is for keeping cats/dogs away from certain areas, and bitter
    apple tastes really bad, and keeps them from chewing/biting
    items you want them to leave alone.

    Kitties and xmas trees are a toughie.  But, one trick I use to
    keep my "kids" away from the front door is mothballs.  I put a
    bunch of mothballs in a heavy duty plastic baggie and poke some
    holes in it.  The smell escapes without the danger of them
    playing with or coming in contact with balls.  Not a very xmas'y
    smell, but odor deterents seem to work the best.  I've also
    heard a lot of folks say the smell of banana sends them running.
    
    C.
    
    (Good luck!  I'm putting up my tree tonight.  My first cat has
    been through one xmas - no problems.  The new kitten though is
    quite a handfull and I'm expecting  I'll have to resort to my
    own advise (along with anchoring the tree!)
    
    

    We also tie our tree up - its a real looking artificial tree.  I
    think the real trees are more attractive to the cats.  We put the
    plastic bulbs that we don't care about on the bottom and the good
    bulbs on the top.  We use garland reather than tinsel.
    
    Please note that you should NOT let your cat drink from the tree
    water.  Its not good for them.
    
    Also - if you have smokers in the house (you mentioned tipped
    ash trays), I strongly suggest you clean the ashtrays after 
    every use.  A cat an easily be poisoned by eating cigarette filters.
    (A child can too, BTW)  The poison is nicotine.
    

    Do be careful not to let them get at mothballs, which are poisonous.
    
    Okay, now a few facts:
    
    Kittens are very high energy and mischievous.  That's life.
    
    On e way to deal with this is to tucker them out with games like
    chase the catnip mouse.
    
    But, you can have a fine Christmas looking living room without a tree. 
    Yes, indeed.  Put garlands over the door frames, wooden ornaments
    elsewhere, etc.
    

    There was only once in my having many,many cats that I had one that
    loved the x-mas tree.  He loved swinging from the garland, pulling
    the decorations off and batting them around until they broke, and
    zooming through at maximum warp speed - ears back and all, which would
    make the whole tree tilt.  He was an unbelievable hellion!  But,  I
    discovered that he hated lavender.  I put some lavender in mesh bags
    on the bottom row of branches and he wouldn't go near it any more.
    He would wrinkle his nose up and run away.  Makes the room smell nice
    too.  I used lavender from my garden, but it is available in stores
    usually too, especially at this time of year.
    
    Denise and the gang of 11

    A friend recently suggested rubbing banana peels around the plant I
    want Onxy to stay away from.  The theory being that since cats seem
    to detest banana smell (mine do, I've tried having them sniff one)
    they'll eave it alone.
    
    Seems I remember Jo Ann telling me she put bells on the Christmas tree.
    Looks neat and she can hear when the cats are playing around the tree
    when she's not in the room to catch them visually. Do you still do this 
    Jo Ann?
    
    Jan
    

    You bet I do!  The bells tie on the lower branches (they look like
    little Christmas sleigh bells or jingle bells), and sound the alarm
    whenever one of the cats gets too personal with the tree.  Then I come
    running with the spray bottle, hehehe. :'}
    
    Jo

    There are other herbs and things that cats hate that are not poisonous.
    Look around at the show in Andover this weekend.

    
    
    	JUST A LITTLE HUMOR HERE.......
    
    	I can just see trying to explain why your tree has banana peels
    	hanging off the branches and moth balls tied with red ribbons.
    	It would sure make  a funny site!
    
    	I know I know, you don't hang the bananas or the mothballs - but
    	think about it - it WOULD work.....
    
    	Season's Greetings to ALL!
    
    	-dee

    Gee, I would think little white mothballs with red and green 
    ribbons would be rather festive.  ;^)
    

    Hey!  You could develop a whole line of ornaments that are 
    kitty deterents.  Just think of all the people who'll line
    up to buy them every year!
    

    I have a funny cat/Christmas tree story...
    
    My husband and I had our first tree 2 Christmases ago.  Our older cat
    at the time, Tiki II, had experience with Christmas trees from when he
    and my hub lived with my father-in-law, before we were married, but our
    younger, Rico, had never seen one before.  Rico, being young and
    playful (with me, anyway) we were afraid would go after the tree.
    
    We set up and decorated our tree, and watched it carefully, water
    pistol in hand, waiting to see what Rico would do.  Fortunately, so was
    Tiki II.
    
    Rico s-l-o-w-l-y approached the tree.  Then he s-l-o-w-l-y lifted a paw
    to an ornament.
    
    Before either of us could do anything, Tiki II ran up to Rico and
    slapped him upside the head!
    
    Rico shook his head (Tiki had a good 10 pounds on Rico, and packed
    quite a whallop), got his bearings, and s-l-o-w-l-y reached again.
    
    WHACK!  Tiki II struck again.
    
    And that was the last disciplinary action taken on Rico.  He would not
    lift a paw towards that tree again!  He would lie under it, play near
    it, look at it, but wouldn't touch it.
    
    This year, we're hoping that Rico passes on the knowledge to Alexandra. 
    But we're still keeping the water pistol handy.
    
    K.C.

    After reading about the banana peels, I decided to try it on my four.  
    ...They loved it!  I peeled the banana, then put the peel on the floor
    -- all four gathered around and immediately began licking and chewing
    the peel...they didn't even bother to "kill" it first.  
    
    But...since I found big Jabba-boy licking, sucking, and chewing on one
    of the dog's rawhide chew-chips this morning, I guess there's no
    accounting for taste.
    
    So far ginger seems to work on the houseplant.  I'll have to design
    some ginger-balls for the tree.
    
    Jo-Ann
                         

    Re: .15

    That is really funny! I can just picture it.

    Peanut does this to Cubby sometimes, but it's when Cubby scratches the 
    sisal-covered post in the livingroom. If Cubby starts to scratch the 
    post Peanut will come running -- sometimes from another room -- and 
    whap Cubby a couple of times. Cubby won't stand up to Peanut and runs 
    off. I'm not sure why Peanut does this. I reprimand Cubby for scratching
    the couch, and sometimes it appears that Peanut is reprimanding Cubby for
    scratching "his" scratching post. Maybe I can train Peanut to whap Cubby
    when he scratches the couch instead? That would be great...

    Linda

    We, too, have had our christmas disaster.  My husband left the room
    yesterday for a few minutes only to come back to our christmas tree
    crashed down on the floor.  Several porcelain ornaments were broken and
    it looks like a mess.  Before we put it up we considered tying it, but
    decided that since they hadn't bothered the tree over the last three
    years we could trust them. Wrong! I think that perhaps their new diet
    (or more likely just not being overfed) has made them alot more active. 
    That or just having access to the "outdoors"! Yuk!
    
    Well the tree is now securely anchored to a desk and an entertainment
    center, so it's not going anywhere, but I still couldn't believe the
    little buggers knocked it over.
    
    Michelle

    I haven't had a tree in 5 years - total disaster - but I decorate all
    around the house and am kept very busy putting things back in their
    place.  I like to display the cards up on the mantel and built in book
    cases in either side.  Every moning I pick up cards and find that they
    all have teeth marks in them, edges are chewed and wet and there are
    little pieces of paper all over the floor.  Also I've opted for quilted
    wreaths on the windows and doors - less temptation and less mess.
    
    Giudi

    Hi All,
    
    Relief from tree disasters made by LUMBERJACK Kittens has been found.
    I went out and decided to try the Hartz "Indoor NO" spray.  It works
    great.  They have not been anywhere near the tree in whole day.  They
    will lay near (about 4-5 feet) the tree but wont go any closer than
    that.  I used this stuff years ago to stop my dog from climbing on 
    the furniture, but it did not work.  But I figured I would give it
    one more shot.  Well I will keep you posted.

    My furballs have all laughed at "Indoor NO".  Sorry...
    
    K.C.

    I'm completely SHOCKED by the fact that Callie (well neither of them 
    actually) is not interested in climbing the tree. Callie yearns to be 
    an outdoor cat. I can tell because anytime I bring a plant or anything
    from outside into the house, I have to hang it high up, or Callie
    chomps on it! I'm going to get her some kitty greens! Also, I can't
    have pointesttia's for this reason.
    
    Anyway...Callie walks around the tree, goes behind it, tries to bite
    ribbon off of the packages (which is tight, so she can't) and has even
    batted at the "teaser/distractor" balls I hung low for the kids. But
    she hasn't tried climbing it yet!!
    
    We also use garland instead of tinsel, and we try to stay away from
    glass balls. The ribbon you use to tie up packages (curling ribbon, etc)
    is made from some fish bone extract (or something like that) so it's
    very attractive smelling to the cats. They can eat this, and like the 
    tinsel, it can cause fatal problems.
    
    Jan--->I was going to mention the ginger, and just then I saw your
    note. My girls hate it!! I made some chinese food last night, and they 
    got a whiff of the ginger & high-tailed it outta the kitchen! They
    also HATE the smell of lime. I have a friend who eats an orange each
    morning & she puts the peels into a potted plant that her cat likes
    to dig in. Each morning she throws the day before's peels away & puts
    her new ones in. The cats don't go near the plant anymore. I had a 
    bananna last night. My girls didn't like the smell of it, but they 
    didn't exactly HATE it the way they do limes or ginger. They seemed
    currious at what the heck this stinky yellow thing could be! Then upon 
    closer inspection they seemed to discover that they didn't much care
    what is was, as long as I got it the heck out of their faces!  %^)
    
    But...no tree problems this year....so far!
    
    Bonnie

    I've been menaing to ask this. I saw a note a while back from Nancy DC
    ( I think it was ) saying not to let the cats drink from the christmas 
    tree stand. I didn't think anything of it, figuring that since some
    people use asprin (which can be deadly to cats) in their tree stands,
    that this was the reason it was mentioned. The other night (before I 
    saw Nancy's note) I was putting some gifts under the tree. Callie came
    over & started drinking from the tree stand. I kinda nudged her bum &
    told her to get outt a there. She kept drinking & I didn't try to stop
    her. (I don't use asprin in my tree stand by the way) After a couple 
    of sips she walked away on her own, and I didn't think another thing
    of it.
    
    Yesterday, I was talking to someone who said that it's not good for
    them to drink the water even if it contains no additives. It's got
    something to do w/ the pine I guess. Is this true?! Is Callie going to 
    get sick? What is it that makes it dangerous!? I'm a little worried.
    
    I wrapped a towel around the base of the tree so the girls can't get in
    there anymore, but can someone explain WHY I'm doing this?!
    
    Bonnie_the_worry_wart

    I think there's something in the sap that's bad.  If Callie hasn't
    shown any symptoms by now, I'd assume she's okay....
    

    re: .24 - that's my understanding too.  Having always had an artificial
    tree I'd never heard of adding aspirin to the water.  
    
    Nancy DC
    

    I thought aspirin was deadly to cats.  What if the cat drank the tree
    water with the aspirin in it? 
    
    Pat
    

    Yes, Pat. Asprin is dangerous & potentially fatal if ingested by a cat.
    As I said earlier, I don't add it to my tree. I called the vet to ask
    exactly what it was that made drinking tree stand water dangerous. I
    told her that I know asprin can kill a cat, and that I don't use it.
    She said that she'd never heard that drinking from the tree water is
    bad, but that she wouldn't recommend letting her do it anymore. She
    also told me that a cat won't necessarilly die from asprin, but Tylenol
    **WILL** kill them w/o a doubt. I didn't realize that I guess.
    
    Bonnie

    re: tylenol - it destroys the red blood cells.  VERY VERY TOXIC to
    cats.
    
    Some other human meds have the reverse effect in cats so the rule
    of thumb is NEVER NEVER medicate your cat without your vet's advice.
      Nancy DC
    

    After 16 years of NO TREE because of what the cats might do to it, I've
    decided to give it a shot.
    
    Sunday I went out in search of a tree, and found a 6-foot Charlie Brown
    tree.  My good friend and neighbor John helped me embed the bottom 18
    inches of the trunk in a 5-gallon watertight tin, filled with peastone
    gravel from under his deck.
    
    We brought the tree into my house, then John wired the top with about
    16-gauge wire to the lock on my double-hung window, so that my beast
    could neither pull the tree over nor push it anywhere.
    
    Well Harry (the rat) is my 22-lb. indoor-only cat, and I knew that some
    tradtional type Christmas items were out, like tinsel (cuts their
    guts if they eat it).  And I certainly wouldn't want glass ornaments to
    wind up in his stomach, either.
    
    I put lights on it (only plugged in when I'm home) -- he doesn't seem
    to even SEE the wires, and isn't bothering them.
    
    I put a stuffed nekkid cherub on the top, and hung some plastic-bead
    garlands on the upper branches.
    
    The lower branches are bare, and that's okay by me, as Harry can play
    with them to his heart's desire.
    
    After the first day, or two, he stopped fussing with the branches -- I
    think the needles were a little sharp on his gums.
    
    Now he sits under the tree and basks in the lovely glow.  He runs
    'round the tree, sits on the loveseat to its left, treads behind the
    tree on the windowsill, then onto his bookcase on the right, jumps off,
    then back around.
    
    Instead of a tree skirt, I found an old afghan I had crocheted some
    years ago, and it's nice and soft and washable.  Accommodates both
    Harry and the presents.
    
    Now the only problem is the presents. Harry thinks the small ones are
    fun to bat around -- they make lovely noises!
    
    He likes to dismantle the bows and ribbons -- I've only a few bows on
    a few packages, and won't put curly ribbons on any packages until I am
    ready to bag up the gifts and deliver them.
    
    There are a few gifts Harry is giving to my neighbors' cats, and to my
    friends' cats.  They are wrapped and under the tree.  (No catnip --
    those items are hung behind the closet door where he can't get them.)
    
    The munchie gifts for his "cousins" are now tantalizing to him, and
    he's been "sampling" the corners of those boxes.  I know his cousins
    won't mind a package that has a little nibble -- means it's been
    pretested and fit for feline consumption!
    
    I just had to share this -- for so many years I could only think of the
    traditional way to do a tree, and didn't realize I could have my tree
    and Harry too.
    
    We're both enjoying Christmas a whole lot this year, and Harry and I,
    along with our Angelic furfaces Miss Kitty and Wumpkin, who are
    guardian cat-angels now, wish you and yours (and your cat-angels, too),
    a happy and loving holiday season, and a bright new year that makes
    scrunchy sounds like cellophane!
    
    Thanks be to the gods for all of you in feliner-land.  Have a happy!
    
    /June and /Harry (the Rat)

    What a lovely message.  Hurray for you and Harry.
    
    Merry Christmas one and all.
    

    
    
    	Well here is a quick update on Lilac that will put a 
    	smile on your face. 8^)
    
    	As many of you know that Lilac was adopted from the 
    	Framingham shelter with the help from Yonee. Lilac is
    	a beautyful little girl who is Siamese and is missing
    	the right rear leg.
    
    	Well she has fully adjusted to the house, she runs up
    	the stairs onto the bed and back down the stairs. She
    	loves K.C. who is my orange and white Maine Coon kitty,
    	and can't get over his big fluffy tail.
    
    	So anyway over the Thanksgiving Holiday we put up the
    	Christmas tree. Lilac like's to stand on the coffee table
    	next to the tree and stretch as far as she can to bat
    	something on the tree. She will also stand under the 
    	tree and bat at things. If she gets lucky and knock
    	something off, she will take it and hide it....
    
    	If is a sight to see this kitty stand on one leg
    	to bat at something.  Yonee and Sandy M. Yes I have
    	pictures of this.
    
    	Mike 

    Mike,
    
     I'm so glad your little girl has adjusted so well, and so quickly! She
    is one special (and lucky!) little girl! It's a good thing you took
    pictures of that! I think that Carol (foster MOM) would LOVE to have a
    copy of that! I'd be willing to pay the freight if you could get a copy
    made of her on one leg batting at the tree! That would REALLY prove to
    Carol that 'her' little girl was doing as well as she is!
    
     Hmmmm, I may be forced to take a ride to see this for myself! ;-) Of
    course when I show up, she'll probably hide under the bed again the
    whole time! 8-{ ;-) 
    
     Thanks for the update! I don't suppose you're going to pop down to the
    Boxboro show tomorrow! ;-)
    
    Love,
    
     Yonee

    Thanks to all who entered solutions in this note!  I nearly always
    find solutions for our (minor, so far, thankfully) kitty problems in 
    this notesfile and I was really glad to see this note.
    
    We have an artificial tree, and four full grown cats.  This tree has
    survived four years of furball abuse, but it's never been quite as
    bad as this year. 
    
    We put the tree up Saturday, put the lights on it (not including the
    bottom row of branches), and some foil balls (they don't break, they
    don't unravel...) and that was it.  We were going to put icicles on
    the top part, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet.
    
    Last night when we got home, the tree was down and the cats were
    playing hide and seek (or something) among the branches.  We put the
    tree back up, and they thought it was for their benefit!  It's up, and
    weighted down with some pieces of petrified wood, but it's a mess.  
    This weekend we'll try some of the suggestions in here, including tying
    the tree to something.  I like the thought of the banana peels, too.
    My daughter won't be in the same room with them!  ;^)
    
    Ellen
    

    
    I just resign myself to the fact that "they're cats!".
    
    	If it moves, attack it.
    
    	If it doesn't move, make it move.
    
    	If it still doesn't move, attack it.
    
    len.
    

      Mike,
    
      My "Smokey" sez "Merry Christmas" to another tripod!! Smokey got into
    the engine compartment of a car when he was about 8 weeks old, and lost
    his right front leg...but NO way does this slow him down. He's
    extremely active, and has two little girl-cats that he adores and vice
    versa.. 
    
       It's amazing to see how fast he can go....hopping more like a bunny
    than a cat, but motoring right along!
    
      John Mc

    I just did not know how many cats are named Smokey. Even if it is so
    obvious...
    
    BTW, my Smokey (or the Smokey I am owned by?) DOES love the Xmas tree,
    and I read an article in the paper about
    tree-never-seen-indoor-kitties, who IMMEDIATELY go for the Xmas tree
    and climb it, although they never seen a thing like it before. With
    four or less legs.
    
    We use to put the smallest tree, and on top of the highest wardrobe.
    (Useless to say in vain).
    
    Nat
                                                                        

    Hmmmm....last year I had 9 cats and my tree held up pretty good.  Yes..
    occasionally a few ornaments would be popped off by one of the cats..
    but over all it wasn't too bad.
    
    Well...last night we put up our tree with no tinsel or garland (I know
    these are eye catchers for the kids)...and yet this morning there was
    11 ornaments on the ground!!!   Of course I have 11 cats now...and
    the newest addition is Maniac Moses!! (Mighty Moe)  I just hope the tree is
    still up when we get home!!!  I am a collector of Hallmark
    Ornaments...so if any of them are broken...he will pay!! 
    
    Sandy

    Hotrail and Chessie have never tried to get up our tree, even when they
    were kittens... they get under it and hide, or chase the train when
    it's set up.

    BUT NOW... I have the little beasties!  I put the tree up, but didn't
    put any ornaments on it, I'll wait for a day or so to see how they do! 
    I sat in the recliner last night watching the idiot box, or wrapping
    packages, and had to spray one, two and occasionally all three kittens,
    at least every 5 minutes.  After I went to bed, Steven got up to go to
    work and I heard him clear his throat real loud and say, "Excuse me"..
    Via, my little shy girl, was asleep halfway up the tree!  I guess we'll
    wait for a few more days to see how they do!  I may end up putting some
    lights on one of my plants and taking the tree down!  OR, I may try
    getting some of that spray "Shoo", or whatever it's called, and see how
    that does.  Thank goodness it's an artificial tree and I didn't spend
    big bucks on a real one!  
    
    M-L

Last year my husband screwed the stand into a 3'x3' piece of plywood.
Regular stands usually have holes in the feet, I think.  Anyway,
if you put the stand on a wide enough base, (4'x4' if you want), it 
will be real hard to knock over!

Our cat just likes to sit under the tree (she has a cat tree she climbs),
but we have a one-year-old baby to help her play with the ornaments this 
year!

Merry Christmas!
Tanya

    
    	Audrey waited a whole three hours before batting an ornament
    	off the tree this year.  =)
    
    	Home Depot has some great stands.  This is one piece, about
    	a foot and a half in circumference.  It looks pretty difficult
    	to topple and it's designed so the cats can't drink water out of
    	it like they can in the conventional tree stands... cost was
    	$10.
    
    	JJ