So, last December we got this kitty, Daisy. She is a sweet, black and white kitty that came from Nana's house. We all love her. When she came to live with us, she was just a baby, maybe 7-8 weeks old, if that, and she was tiny.
Anyway, we didn't realize how much Daisy loved the Christmas tree last year until we returned home from our holiday trip to see family. That first night back, we'd been home about an hour when we heard a jingling in the tree and saw the black and white fur of our kitten at EYE-LEVEL in the tree. No problem, I thought, she's tiny, can't knock it over, and I pulled her out. I don't think she ever did it again before we put the tree away for the year.
Fast forward a year. Daisy is now a big, fat one year-old CAT. She sleeps all day and all night, stays in the house all the time, and eats. Except for the puppy chasing her around (rarely does she actually run), she gets little exercise. One thing has remained - she is fascinated by the Christmas tree.
It's not just the shiny ornaments, or the sparkly lights. It's the fact that it's a TREE. It doesn't smell like a tree, or have bark like a tree (it's fake). One thing it does have is branches, which function perfectly as a kitty ladder for her to climb on. Which she does. All the time.
I've tried to put a stop to this. I wrapped presents over a week ago, thinking that if I put some stuff under the tree, she'd stop sitting under it looking UP. Which might stop her from jumping UP in it. Didn't work
My latest trick is the No Scratch Spray, which is made to keep cats from clawing furniture. I've sprayed the tree every couple of days this week, and I think it's going to work. I thought maybe she would "learn" to stay away after a couple of days, but no. As soon as the smell dies down, she's back at it. Luckily, it doesn't stink to us humans, so I can spray it as often as I need to. I just hope it doesn't ruin any ornaments. I don't think it will.
It sure beats trying to tie it to the wall.
