*sings* Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree
Last night I put up our first Christmas tree in 3 years! \o/ It's soooo pretty! :D
If I was being more accurate I should say last night I put up a giant toy for our cats! :)
Of our 3 cats, each react to the tree differently.
Molly - goes and sniffs around it as it is new and in her living room so she must decide whether to give it permission to stay. On the whole she ignores it once the initial investigation is over.
Dylan - sits on the back of the sofa and just looks at it. He seems to like the lights. I have a picture of his first Christmas with us and he was in exactly the same position as when I looked up last night. *pets him*
Cain - better described as 'Destructor of Christmas tree's!' and the reason we haven't put up a proper tree in 3 years.
He was a tiny, tiny kitten only about 8 weeks old when we got him. He arrived, got settled in and then discovered we had provided him with a giant toy full of smaller toys to play with! We were obviously good monkey's and it was only right to play all day every day with this new toy!
I still remember the sound of him batting the baubles on the branches - 'tink, tink, tink' usually followed by a loud 'CRASH' as the tree toppled over. M made a plinth for the tree to sit on but that was seen as an extra addition to the cool giant toy so he scaled that in kitten gymnastics worthy of the wiliest squirrel trying to get nuts. (tink, tink, tink.....CRASH *bounce* crash)
All this was very entertaining but slightly irritating putting up a Christmas tree every.single.day (and at least twice a day on weekends) so we opted for a little fibre optic tree the last couple of years which Molly would sniff for a bit, Dylan would stare at and Cain? Cain would ponder for about 10 seconds and then plonk himself down next to it and chew the fibres when they changed colour. *slaps forehead*
We thought we had been cunning enough to fox Cain, and make his bauble scattering abilities ineffective by ordering a ready dressed tree. I had visions of a ready dressed tree complete with superglued on baubles and trinkets that were impervious to kitten paws being pulled out of the box. I should have know better. What's that old adage? If it sounds to good to be true it usually is.
M started making tea and so I was on tree duty. I open the box to find one tree (in parts) and bag fulls of baubles/trinkets/decorations ready to be put up. Not one ready decorated tree but one tree ready (and complete with accessories) to decorate. D'OH!
To give us a chance to at least get the tree up we left the box on the sofa. It's like a lobster trap but infinitely more simple. No bait required as such.
Take one box. Leave unattended in the vicinity of puss cats for at least 15 seconds. Look inside - Presto! One cat. :D
I finished faffing with the tree (firmly wedged in the corner trapped upright by the combined effort of the wall and the sofa) and went in the kitchen to make a drink. Less than 5 seconds after leaving the room I could hear - 'Tink, tink, tink' *snickers*
As of this morning all baubles seem to be where I left them and the tree is nicely upright. I'll see what it's like when we get home! :D
If I was being more accurate I should say last night I put up a giant toy for our cats! :)
Of our 3 cats, each react to the tree differently.
Molly - goes and sniffs around it as it is new and in her living room so she must decide whether to give it permission to stay. On the whole she ignores it once the initial investigation is over.
Dylan - sits on the back of the sofa and just looks at it. He seems to like the lights. I have a picture of his first Christmas with us and he was in exactly the same position as when I looked up last night. *pets him*
Cain - better described as 'Destructor of Christmas tree's!' and the reason we haven't put up a proper tree in 3 years.
He was a tiny, tiny kitten only about 8 weeks old when we got him. He arrived, got settled in and then discovered we had provided him with a giant toy full of smaller toys to play with! We were obviously good monkey's and it was only right to play all day every day with this new toy!
I still remember the sound of him batting the baubles on the branches - 'tink, tink, tink' usually followed by a loud 'CRASH' as the tree toppled over. M made a plinth for the tree to sit on but that was seen as an extra addition to the cool giant toy so he scaled that in kitten gymnastics worthy of the wiliest squirrel trying to get nuts. (tink, tink, tink.....CRASH *bounce* crash)
All this was very entertaining but slightly irritating putting up a Christmas tree every.single.day (and at least twice a day on weekends) so we opted for a little fibre optic tree the last couple of years which Molly would sniff for a bit, Dylan would stare at and Cain? Cain would ponder for about 10 seconds and then plonk himself down next to it and chew the fibres when they changed colour. *slaps forehead*
We thought we had been cunning enough to fox Cain, and make his bauble scattering abilities ineffective by ordering a ready dressed tree. I had visions of a ready dressed tree complete with superglued on baubles and trinkets that were impervious to kitten paws being pulled out of the box. I should have know better. What's that old adage? If it sounds to good to be true it usually is.
M started making tea and so I was on tree duty. I open the box to find one tree (in parts) and bag fulls of baubles/trinkets/decorations ready to be put up. Not one ready decorated tree but one tree ready (and complete with accessories) to decorate. D'OH!
To give us a chance to at least get the tree up we left the box on the sofa. It's like a lobster trap but infinitely more simple. No bait required as such.
Take one box. Leave unattended in the vicinity of puss cats for at least 15 seconds. Look inside - Presto! One cat. :D
I finished faffing with the tree (firmly wedged in the corner trapped upright by the combined effort of the wall and the sofa) and went in the kitchen to make a drink. Less than 5 seconds after leaving the room I could hear - 'Tink, tink, tink' *snickers*
As of this morning all baubles seem to be where I left them and the tree is nicely upright. I'll see what it's like when we get home! :D