Elf on the Shelf snow angel used as cat litter tray

by Michael Broad · December 23, 2019

The picture of the Elf on a Shelf surrounded by sugar granules was meant to be part of a Christmas tradition involving placing toy elves around the home during December to check on whether children are being nice or naughty. It originates in an American book, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, and illustrated by Coë Steinwart.

Elf on the shelf cat litter tray. Picture: Caters News Agency

However, mum Katie Wright who did the Elf on the Shelf presentation was surprised to find out that the family cat, Tilly, had decided that it was a decent place to have a poo overnight. When they came downstairs in the morning they could smell something was wrong!

Elf on the shelf snow scene as it was. Credit: Caters News Agency.

It’s only my first year doing the elf as my eldest is only just four. Oscar has really enjoyed it though and we’ve taken it easy knowing we probably have a decade of elf placements ahead of us.

The Sun reporter writes that Tilly ‘mistook’ the sugar for a litter tray. I don’t think that is quite correct. Tilly simply decided that it was a litter tray or more accurately a convenient place to use as a toilet. That’s because the granules provided a substrate that was acceptable. It did not work very well but that’s beside the point.