cat-related Christmas tree security attempts
December 2, 2022 1:18 PM Subscribe
People Hanging Christmas Trees from the Ceiling to Outsmart Their Cats season has arrived. Link goes to nitter.net version. Direct links to Tiktoks: ornament protection, ceiling tree, plexiglass barrier, a cat tree, and a tree cat. Original tweet by writer and local whale enthusiast s.e. smith (who just launched a link roundup tinyletter!).
Our cats don't mess with the tree, much, although I make sure they can't hang out underneath it or get behind it. This year the previous tree alcove space is filled, so the tree will go in the front window. I'm sure they'll mess with it and destroy it if possible.
posted by winesong at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by winesong at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
A few years old, but there is also the tangerine solution.
I need to try the Ceiling Tree or Cat Tree approach sometime. Cats (in particular, a certain cat with energy to burn despite her age) are the number one reason why we haven't had a Christmas tree in years.
posted by May Kasahara at 1:44 PM on December 2, 2022 [5 favorites]
I need to try the Ceiling Tree or Cat Tree approach sometime. Cats (in particular, a certain cat with energy to burn despite her age) are the number one reason why we haven't had a Christmas tree in years.
posted by May Kasahara at 1:44 PM on December 2, 2022 [5 favorites]
I desperately want to know how a cat is afraid of tangerines, but on a related note, there's the vacuum solution.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:48 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:48 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
Our cat loved Christmas trees! He'd curl up underneath and sleep amongst the presents.
He was a very chill cat.
posted by ryanrs at 1:50 PM on December 2, 2022 [7 favorites]
He was a very chill cat.
posted by ryanrs at 1:50 PM on December 2, 2022 [7 favorites]
A secure ceiling anchor comes with an additional benefit: you can use it to hoist the tree up!
I'm always terrible when it comes to getting the tree into the tree stand and I've found the best way to keep it perfectly straight while twisting in all those thumbscrews is to tie a line around the upper trunk and run it through a clothesline pulley hanging from the ceiling. Then I just hoist the tree up and gently lower it into the stand without worrying about it tipping over or ending up at a slight angle.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 2:00 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm always terrible when it comes to getting the tree into the tree stand and I've found the best way to keep it perfectly straight while twisting in all those thumbscrews is to tie a line around the upper trunk and run it through a clothesline pulley hanging from the ceiling. Then I just hoist the tree up and gently lower it into the stand without worrying about it tipping over or ending up at a slight angle.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 2:00 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm sure they'll mess with it and destroy it if possible
the resigned fatalism of this comment warmed me, thank you
posted by elkevelvet at 2:49 PM on December 2, 2022 [10 favorites]
the resigned fatalism of this comment warmed me, thank you
posted by elkevelvet at 2:49 PM on December 2, 2022 [10 favorites]
My favourite is this one - the white tree that tips over onto the cat. The cat looks so surprised as it's enveloped in seasonal cheer. (Owner said cat was fine)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:40 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by nouvelle-personne at 3:40 PM on December 2, 2022
My childhood home had room for a seven -eight foit tree. Two of the cats could not have cared less. One was always messing with it untill, yep, three am smash! Catsquawk! Nothing irreplaceable was broken, including the cat... But she never tried to climb it again.
posted by Jacen at 5:05 PM on December 2, 2022
posted by Jacen at 5:05 PM on December 2, 2022
ah it's good to see s.e. smith around again! I remember ou fondly from the circles we shared like ten years ago.
Back when my pica kitty had free rein to wander the house, we got sufficiently worried about his burgeoning non-edible snacking habit that we went out and got bitter yuck spray with which to coat the entire tree. We accidentally wound up gassing ourselves out of the entire house with the cloud of the bitter spray following us out, but he never did eat any piece of that tree...
anyway, fortunately he is thwarted by gates, so he's pretty easy to manage.
I desperately want to know how a cat is afraid of tangerines
More likely the cat really, really hates the smell of citrus. It's generally a pretty aversive smell to cats, the way we experience cat piss (for example).
posted by sciatrix at 5:25 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
Back when my pica kitty had free rein to wander the house, we got sufficiently worried about his burgeoning non-edible snacking habit that we went out and got bitter yuck spray with which to coat the entire tree. We accidentally wound up gassing ourselves out of the entire house with the cloud of the bitter spray following us out, but he never did eat any piece of that tree...
anyway, fortunately he is thwarted by gates, so he's pretty easy to manage.
I desperately want to know how a cat is afraid of tangerines
More likely the cat really, really hates the smell of citrus. It's generally a pretty aversive smell to cats, the way we experience cat piss (for example).
posted by sciatrix at 5:25 PM on December 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
We used to have to do this, and sometimes it had the unfortunate side effect of making it look like the treetop angel was trying to hang herself.
Christmas time always makes me miss my sweet Yevgeny. We called him The Christmas Bastard. He knocked the tree down a number of times as a kitten, but by the time he was fully grown he had mastered the art to such a degree that he could haul his fifteen-pound frame halfway up the tree and spend the night sweetly sleeping in its branches without knocking down more than a few ornaments. He was fond of the ornaments that look like shiny polished apples, and loved to just walk around with one in his teeth. We only found where he hid his cache of them when we moved out of the house. He also quite enjoyed pouncing on wrapping paper, during both the wrapping and unwrapping processes. He managed to gin up the energy for one final paper-pounce on his last Christmas as a venerable old grandpa cat.
Libby the Cat had Pica, so we had to forego both tinsel and glass ornaments while she was around. Luckily she wasn’t much of a climber, so as long as we didn’t extend the tree lights down to within her reach, she couldn’t chew on the cords.
My dear departed Maine Coon Mississippi had a thing for bows. She’d methodically take one in her teeth, shake her head to pull it off the package, set it down, and move on to the next until she had them all de-bowed. Then she’d sit down and look up at you as if to say, “There! Took care of that little matter for you.”
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:33 PM on December 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
Christmas time always makes me miss my sweet Yevgeny. We called him The Christmas Bastard. He knocked the tree down a number of times as a kitten, but by the time he was fully grown he had mastered the art to such a degree that he could haul his fifteen-pound frame halfway up the tree and spend the night sweetly sleeping in its branches without knocking down more than a few ornaments. He was fond of the ornaments that look like shiny polished apples, and loved to just walk around with one in his teeth. We only found where he hid his cache of them when we moved out of the house. He also quite enjoyed pouncing on wrapping paper, during both the wrapping and unwrapping processes. He managed to gin up the energy for one final paper-pounce on his last Christmas as a venerable old grandpa cat.
Libby the Cat had Pica, so we had to forego both tinsel and glass ornaments while she was around. Luckily she wasn’t much of a climber, so as long as we didn’t extend the tree lights down to within her reach, she couldn’t chew on the cords.
My dear departed Maine Coon Mississippi had a thing for bows. She’d methodically take one in her teeth, shake her head to pull it off the package, set it down, and move on to the next until she had them all de-bowed. Then she’d sit down and look up at you as if to say, “There! Took care of that little matter for you.”
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:33 PM on December 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
More likely the cat really, really hates the smell of citrus. It's generally a pretty aversive smell to cats, the way we experience cat piss (for example).
Citrus seed oil has anti-toxoplasma activity
Citrus seed oil has anti-toxoplasma activity
Linoleic acid (36%) and oleic acid (27%) were the most prominent in C. sinensis seed oil. The soap had antimicrobial potential comparable to commercial product. The soap samples recorded highest anti-bacteria activities (22.0 ± 1.0–23.0 ± 1.0) against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and notable anti-fungi activities (18.0 ± 1.0) against Penicillium notatum and Candida albicans. Additionally, the oil showed moderate anti-parasite (anit-toxoplasma gondii) activity (EC50 ≤ 500 μg/mL) but with improved selectivity that precludes oxidative stress while the prepared medicinal soaps exhibited remarkable antioxidant property.posted by jamjam at 12:34 AM on December 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
It's probably the limonene in the peels:
https://excitedcats.com/can-cats-drink-lemonade/
... and now back to happy cat nonsense.
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:25 AM on December 3, 2022
https://excitedcats.com/can-cats-drink-lemonade/
The citrus aroma comes from an essential oil called limonene which can cause vomiting, tremors, respiratory distress, and more in cats if inhaled, ingested, or placed on the skin.iirc, limonene is mildly toxic to humans as well, so be careful if you're using a lot of that citrus oil cleaning agent.
... and now back to happy cat nonsense.
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:25 AM on December 3, 2022
Thank goodness every cat I've ever had (4 so far) has not gone near the tree. My big tree isn 't up this year, just the little one upstairs that sits on the end table.
posted by kathrynm at 4:06 PM on December 3, 2022
posted by kathrynm at 4:06 PM on December 3, 2022
There was an artist's loft that hung their tree upside-down, and I guess the sap went down into the branches or something because none of the needles fell off.
posted by whuppy at 8:33 AM on December 4, 2022
posted by whuppy at 8:33 AM on December 4, 2022
Don't go towards the light ...
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:13 PM on December 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:13 PM on December 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Our cat trained herself out of climbing our artificial Christmas tree in her second Christmas. Her first Christmas, she was 5-6 months old, and she slept in the tree on the regular. Her second year, she was much older and bigger and the first time she tried, the tree toppled down on top of her and she left it alone after that.
We did, however, have to stop putting tinsel on the tree, because she would eat that.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:56 AM on December 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
We did, however, have to stop putting tinsel on the tree, because she would eat that.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:56 AM on December 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
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