The Christmas tree is the perfect present for your cat
Cat owners should not be annoyed or surprised if their cat disturbs (at the very least) their carefully prepared Christmas tree. This is not bad cat behavior. This is not about a cat being mischievous. It’s just that for a cat, particularly an indoor cat who might be slightly bored, the installation of a Christmas tree with those dangly things is an opportunity for entertainment. It is as if you had bought the tree for her.
Cat in Christmas tree. Photo: @KTM12XU.
If it’s a real tree it will have the fragrance and scent of an outdoor object which is bound to stimulate interest. Then of course it is something completely new and we know that cats will always explore something new. Their inquisitiveness is legendary.
If the trunk of the Christmas tree is wide enough and there is access to it then it might become an ideal scratching post. The dangly things are cat toys to be knocked off and batted away.
If there is space at the top it makes a lovely perch. We know that cats like to move vertically. We know that cats like to be in high places. Here is an opportunity, rarely presented, to explore a brand-new object that smells like nature and which allows a cat to climb, and my God cats like to climb.
So we shouldn’t be disturbed or upset if a cat interferes with the tree. Although I am sure that many cat owners will find some ways to protect their tree from their cat or tick off their cat for climbing it. But please don’t punish your cat. Never. Accept it and take some precautions.
There are some potentially dangerous things on Christmas trees like cords and tinselly bits which a cat might ingest so some obvious precautions need to be taken to protect the family cat.
In fact there will be tons of paper and small objects lying around the floor as well on Christmas Day in the home where there are children. Some of these objects such as fine threads are particularly dangerous to an inquisitive cat. We all know that cats like to put stuff into their mouths and chew it. Threads can get caught on the tongue, in the mouth and down the throat and it can be hard to see. Extra care is needed. You don’t want a massive veterinary bill at Christmas and a deeply upset cat.
Proactive cat caretaking and acceptance of natural cat behavior are the watch words for cat owners at Christmas.
