This is the weekend we normally set up our Christmas tree, but with two little monkeys in our house, we may just have to wait until they're gone before we do.
We've had many Christmases with kittens, and we certainly know all of the challenges that brings! I hate to delay the decorating, but I think it's better if we do. These guys are climbers, and I'm afraid they'll just go straight to the top of the tree. They like to chew on things, too, and don't want them ingesting or destroying any holiday trimmings.
Out of all the Christmases we've spent with cats and kittens, I think the year with the Loudermilks was the best. Remember the kitten bell choir? I love this joyful moment so much.
Do you have a good "Cats at Christmas" story to share? Did kitty knock down a tree? Eat Santa's cookies? If you've got one, we would love to hear it, so share it in the comment section, please!
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Yesterday, we got a big shipment of Sparkle Balls, and they've been added to the SHOP. We've got more of the usual colors, and I've brought back the wintery mix of blue, silver and green, and added more Christmas packs, too. The extra-large sparkle balls were delayed a bit, and they should be arriving by the middle of next week. I'm sorry all of the large are currently sold out! The very second they arrive, I'll get them listed and let you all know.
We're doing a holiday special in the store today, and if you spend $25 or more, shipping is free! Just enter the code "CATALOONS" when prompted at checkout to take advantage of today's deal. The offer ends at Midnight tonight, so please don't delay! I'm sorry international folks, but this is for shipping within the US only.
Visit the IBKC store HERE.
Have a great weekend, folks! Be sure to watch our Instagram feed for more of Poe and Marigold!
I don't have a funny story, but your post makes me think I need to get a few bells for the bottom of the tree, where the kitties like to nap on the plushy tree skirt! I have all unbreakable ornaments on the tree, and I put some of the pretty glass balls in clear vases so we can enjoy them without putting them or the cats in harm's way. And we don't use tinsel or curly ribbon. I do not understand why cats find it so delicious! Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteMy "Cats at Christmas" story:
ReplyDeleteOur 9 month old orange tabby Riggie was a CHEWER. He wasted no time chewing on our artificial tree. We learned early in his life he couldn't care less about being wet, so water bottles were useless. We did a little research and found multiple suggestions online that we tried... and all failed. For example, one was to spray the tree with apple cider vinegar; it turned out he liked apple cider vinegar.
Then my husband came up with the idea that every time he started messing with the tree we would get out the laser pointer to distract him, which worked brilliantly.
And then... he would walk to the tree, tap one of the branches a bit, then look over his shoulder expectantly. If no laser pointer appeared, he would paw the branches harder, then look over his shoulder expectantly. No laser pointer = chewing. Manipulacat! So that entire season we were hostage to his laser pointer whims.
In Soviet Russia, Riggle trains YOU. Hee hee!
DeleteMany, many years ago, my parents and I went to Christmas Eve service. When we returned, we discovered our tortie had gently moved aside all the presents to find hers: a catnip mouse in a plastic bag, wrapped in gift wrap. She was quite high when we found her, but there wasn't a single claw mark on any other gift!
ReplyDeleteOur first cat, the late great orange giant Saturn (who is why all succeeding cats are named for moons of Saturn), got fixated on one particular ornament and was determined to HAVE it. All our decorations are shatterproof, w/ no tinsel or other stringy things, but this was a sort of mini-gravevine wreath decorated with small wine-red silk flowers etc and we think the flower petals were too feather-like to resist. We kept moving it, and moving it, but he never forgot it, even from one year to the next. We kept putting it higher and higher up, afraid he would swallow petals, and finally thought we had it high enough; also, he was 14 by then and couldn't jump as well. We went to lunch and came home to find it in pieces on the floor, with Saturn asleep on his back among them, the picture of such utter contentment we didn't care, even though it had been made and sent by Mom. As it turned out, we lost him to cancer that summer, so we were downright glad he finally GOT that ornament!
ReplyDeleteHe also had a real thing for fudge (we allowed him small tastes). (The butter in it, I guess.)He would come RUNNING when he heard the fudge tin being opened. One evening a selection of candy was on a tray on the coffee table for company, and we gradually became aware of a little gold paw appearing, on the far side of the coffee table, swatting ever so stealthily at the fudge pieces. (If it's on the floor, it's legal, here.) We stood up and leaned over to look, and there he was, flattened strategically out with the paw about to make another sweep, looking up at us with that "What?" look. Then onto his back, so adorable we of course gave him a taste, LOL.
And he loved to get a tree light in his mouth, always a gold one, and tighten his lips so we couldn't pull it out. His little face sort of lit up-- 2 funny, but it scared us so much we then restricted lights to the very upper branches.
And we wouldn't trade any of it, or the many year round little chaoses, for the world! Kitties are the very embodiment of the phrase, *the magic of ordinary days*; they transform life the way a Christmas tree transforms a house!--from Arowyn
Our 1st Maine Coon was a climber. My sister walked in the front door as I gave the cat "A flying lesson", she started to yell at me until she saw the fake tree on it's side with my antique ornaments scattered. None broke but you can bet we only get real trees now that are wired to the bookcases and molding. Then there was my mom's cat, Sylvia, who walked around with tinsel out her bum. My step-dad got yelled at for the tinsel and handed the vet bill. Sylvia was fine.
ReplyDeleteI love that Christmas video!
ReplyDeleteOn her first Christmas, my tortie climbed to the top of the bookshelf, where all the gifts were wrapped and arranged so there was no room for a cat. She then knocked over the one bag that contained, among a lot of other things, a small bag of peanut butter dog biscuits. She pulled out only the dog biscuits, chewed a hole in the plastic, took a few bites, and left crumbs all over the floor.
Fortunately, the gift's human recipient had a tortie of her own and understood the dog biscuits were even better for the quality-control tasting.
When I was about 10 years old we had a super sweet but overly curious cat named Fluffy. She was black and not the slightest bit fluffy but that's what happens when you let your kids name the cat. I was walking through the living room and saw the Christmas tree shake a little. I looked closely (it was a big tree) and saw Fluffy in the middle climbing her way up the trunk. This was not easy because there were a ton of branches but she was determined. I stood there thinking, "Should I call for Mom?" But I didn't and watched Fluffy climb all the way to the top and then ride the tree down like Indiana Jones. Not sure my mother ever really knew how the tree fell over.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago my sister had a naughty black cat named Rem. Rem came home with sister for Christmas and of course Mom & Dad had the tree up. After a while, as we were all sitting in the living room chatting, the tree branches began to shake just a little. Then they shook more. All of a sudden my sister cried out REM! He was about half way up the tree before his climbing adventure was cut short. Naughty kitty!
ReplyDeleteMy cat thought it was pretty awesome that every December we brought his favorite toy indoors for him! He loved climbing trees, so he really liked having one in the house with toys hung all over it. Any time we went somewhere in the evening, we'd come back to the tree on the floor. Eventually he stopped that--probably because it wasn't a very stable tree to climb. And now I just miss my baby boy. We got to enjoy him for 22 Christmases, though!
ReplyDeleteSeveral cats back, we had a silver Persian (Tutti Frutti) who chomped all available corners of every gift under the tree. Just a single bite, but try explaining that to the gift recipients.
ReplyDeleteMy cats help me with everything, at least while it's still interesting.
ReplyDeleteSo, this year as I was opening the bins of decorations to put them up, at the bottom of one bin I found a knitted catnip mousie. Obviously my Angel had been playing with the mousie while she helped me pack decorations away last year, and the mousie stayed in the attic all year!
One of my favorite videos. They are so cute.
ReplyDeleteYES! My baby housepanther Sheba, her first Christmas, didn't bother to wait until we actually had the tree UP before climbing in it. I was underneath it tightening the pegs, and my dad was holding it upright, and I was about two pegs in when the tree shook a little and Dad said "don't look now, one of the kittens is in the tree already". Black cats are awfully hard to photograph against a dark tree, so I have no photos, but it was one of my best laughs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for those of you who get real trees, Target and a few other places sell stands that are designed to stand up to climber kittens. They're huge things with six or eight pegs, but they're strong and I've seen one handle a full-grown cat in the tree without budging.
ReplyDeleteI don't use real trees anymore, one of my cats is a chewer and can't resist eating the tree.