From: hagel@stsci.edu
Subject: Re:  Kitty's 1st christmas!
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 01:02:05 GMT


Some suggestions and a couple experiences:


1.	Consider an artificial tree.  Pine products in any form are toxic 
to cats, and pine needles can pierce body tissues.  Also, additives to a 
tree's water can be poisonous to pets.


2.	Use transparent 40-pound test fishing line to secure the tree to a 
_sturdy_ plant hook or curtain rod.  Beware:  with a sectioned artificial 
tree, attach the middle section as well, not just the top piece!

3.	Hang non-breakable ornaments near the bottom.  Wire breakables 
firmly to the upper branches or display them elsewhere.


4.	Keep a water pistol or squirt bottle handy, especially at first.


5.	If your floor plan allows, close off the tree room and allow the 
cat only supervised access at first.


6.	Avoid tinsel in any form, whether as "icicles" or garlands -- "Lead
me not into temptation..."


7.	Many cats also love to munch on or swallow ribbon, which can be as 
deadly as tinsel.  Consider leaving the gifts under the tree without bows 
until the last minute.


Now for the "war stories":

Before I had cats of my own, I shared an apartment with a friend who had 2.
Barb had a small 3-foot artificial tree and lovely hand-beaded ornaments,
the beads applied with pins.  This sounds like a recipie for disaster, and
it was -- for the ornaments.  Without fail each year, Logan & Trina would
disassemble them one at a time, leaving the pins in one neat little pile,
and the beads in another.  They never seemed to swallow anything or bat the
beads around, just take things apart.  The ornaments went back together 
each time as good as new. 

After a while, I wanted a full-sized Christmas tree (the little one never 
felt like it counted) and Barb enthusiastically agreed.  So I purchased a 
very nice 7-foot model.  The cats' attitude was totally different; instead 
of merrily attacking, they seemed to have a profound respect for something 
that big.  They loved to lie underneath and "guard" the gifts, but never 
touched the tree at all.



Now that I have my own clowder, they love to do the same thing under the 
same tree.  Satin leaves the tree alone & it leaves her alone.  Py loves to 
munch on bows, so they only go on at the last minute.  (_I_ think the 
teeny-tiny puncture marks on the ribbon add an interesting texture, but you 
know how stuffy some people can be...)

Kami nowadays is also content to be a guard kitty, but we had one 
disagreement his first year.  I had carefully followed all the good tips
I'd received (repeated above), so I just watched as Kami investigated the
tree without touching it.  He took a fancy to a sparkly unbreakable
ornament hanging near the bottom an gave it a pat.  "Kami!  No", I told
him, "gently but firmly", just like the cat books said to do.  He looked at
me thoughtfully and then patted it again, harder.  "NO!", I said, louder,
and tried to remember where I'd left the squirt bottle.  The third time he
did it, I went over, took the ornament, and moved it about halfway up the
tree. 

Well!  The green eyes slitted and glared, the tail twitched, and Kami 
leaped up like Magic Johnson, slam-dunked the ornament to the floor with
both paws -- and then marched straight out of the room, tail high.

But as far as I can tell, he's never molested the tree again.


Crystal Hagel






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