I love Christmas. I love the season of giving. I love getting out our Christmas tree. Putting on the ornaments. Reminiscing about where they came from. Setting out my mom's huge collection of Santas. .jpg)
Opening the pockets of the advent calendars with my girls. .jpg)
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Driving around neighborhoods to look at lights.
But this year. Everything has been on hold. Everything has remained in the attic. Because a certain species. In some circles known as feline destructicus. Has invaded my house. And after the intestinal blockage incident. I am rather leary of setting out all of my Christmas items. Because the hooligans might attack the hanging advent calendars. Steal the baby Jesus from the creche. Eat the ornaments. Or maybe even the tree.
So rather than putting everything up the day after Thanksgiving. We waited until December 14th. And we set up our Tree. Watched. And waited. We didn't have to wait too long before the invading hordes arrived to have their curiosity assauged. Here they are. Whispering plots and plans to each other..jpg)
They quickly decided to put on their game faces. And pretend ingnorance. And innocence..jpg)
But when the tree came out of the bag. They could not contain their excitement at having something new to investigate destroy. .jpg)
There was a little bit of chewing. .jpg)
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But after few squirts of water. And they seemed to leave it alone..jpg)
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Seemed being the operative word. And the reason why my beautiful pre-lit tree is back in the bag. And back in the attic. Because apparently my kitties are still confused. And think themselves to be ornaments. Or perhaps tinsel. Or that elusive partridge..jpg)
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So...what about you? Is your tree up and decorated? Do you have a favorite decoration for the holidays? Do you have to worry about feline destruticus? Canine destruticus? Homo sapiens toddler-zila?
(Did you enter the contest to win the HUGE pack of Disney scrapbook supplies? What are you waiting for? Only 2 more days to get your name in the pot.)
Theme song: Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla. Which sparked a conversation about who Godzilla is with the girls. So, I found the hilarious video to this song. And then we got sucked in by You Tube. And watched Godzilla vs. Megalon. And Godzilla vs. Mothra. And laughed ourselves silly.
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56 comments:
oh look at those kitties! I have a hugh Nutcracker collection on my mantel!
Okay...that is HILARIOUS!! I love them feigning innocence.
I love this!!!! My kitties were ery good. One has an addiction to ting ting, though.
I love the Santa collection! I envy it. I decided last night, as I was looking at my Grandmother's star ornament, that is time I start a vintage ornament collection. One that will have it's very own tree in my room! All when I grow up and am finally employed again!
Love the feline faces!
Feeee-yooof! I'm so glad I have dogs whose legs are two inches tall!
I'm pretty sure you've seen the insanity going on at my house, so yes. I have my tree(s) up!
My favorite part of all the Godzilla movies are the little teeny weeny japanese girls who sing the crazy Moth-er-aaaaa-a Moth-er-aaaaa-a song.
Too funny! They are worse than a 3 year old. Surprisingly my kids have been fairly respectful of all the decorations this year. No presents under the tree yet, because I know that would be just too much for Kate to resist. However, I could borrow your kitties for a few days. I've been battling a *#@#% mouse. I'm going to go CRAZY!!
Oh, and I LOVE your mom's Santas! I want to blow that picture up big and see them all, but it won't let me.
I don't have cats. I have toddlers, one of which who doesn't seem to grasp the concept of the word "No!"
Fun times.
Our tree is not up either. We might put it up this weekend. Once school is out (Friday noon), there will be 4 extra sets of hands and eyes to keep one set of 18-month-old destructobot hands with a penchant for chucking things from toppling/smashing it. Presents will not show up until Christmas Eve, but that's usually true anyway.
Yep, the tree is up. And no kitties here, only one very well behaved dog. I remember the toddler days, though. When our little bitty tree had to be placed on top of the entertainment center (since that was the ONLY place, other than the top of the fridge, that the kid couldn't get to). Now he just uses the tree as a battleground for his lego men ;)
I think there's some truth behind the saying "Curiosity Killed the Kitties."
I can't believe you can't put up your tree. I'm so sorry! Darn evil little kitties.
They're so beautiful though. And look at their adorable (conniving) faces.
BTW, our sweet Annie could care less for our tree. She sniffed it once or twice but only goes near it when following us...
OMG! Kat, where did you get your red advent calendar? The second one in the post? I have one identical to it that my aunt made for me when I was a little girl. It's at least 30 years old and is exactly like yours. Same ornaments and everything. My girls LOVE it just as much as I did.
And since we lost our cat last summer, we have really missed her. We have the two dogs but it still hasn't been the same. One of my sister-in-laws is giving us a kitten (now 4 months old) from a litter she bottle fed. The momma cat was a stray that showed up at her doorstep in Lilburn. Momma ran off after delivering the babies. Your post is making me nervous; it's been so long since I've had a kitten around that I've forgotten how much fun (ha) they can be. A riot every minute, right? How old are they? Or do I dare ask? Please don't say 4 months. hee hee
Okay, I have a morbid cat story, involving Christmas lights.......
I'll spare you though.
I definitley see the plotting and planning in those kitties eyes!
I dont like cats. Or dogs. Or birds. Or rodents. And If I did have a cat (like yours), I wouldn't anymore....
Good luck with the evil kitties! :( We no longer decorate for the holidays since we go away for Christmas it just becomes too much of a pain to decorate for an occasion we're not here for.
I'm thinking of at least putting out the beautiful creche i bought last year in Namibia tho...
I just love these cat pictures!
We're not putting up a tree this year. 2.5 year old who doesn't understand Xmas yet plus tiny house plus overwhelmed parents plus Xmas gatherings at other people's houses = no tree this year!
I cannot believe the cats! The photos are hilarious but I am so sorry that you are not going to have a tree this year!
I have to laugh every time I read another story about cats climbing Christmas trees, real or artificial. I have a tree much like yours and four cats who now 10 years old. They've never climbed the tree which is older than they are. They use to chase the lights when were putting them on the tree, but have stopped doing that too. Now all they do is sit under the tree. So we don't put gifts under the big one anymore. I have a small tabletop tree where we place the gifts instead. But the cats have share the tree with my Hallmark snowman collection. That's okay.. they know who is boss. The snowmen, because they sing and dance. Ever see a cat glare at an animated snowman?
no tree up here yet. may not have one at all this year. no small children in the house. hubby has to work christmas. meals at other homes this year. so why?
btw--go to your largest pet store and buy Boundary Indoor/Outdoor Cat Repellent. Helps keep pets and strays away from shrubbery, furniture, and garbage cans, and other areas you wish pets to stay away from. $12.99 or Bitter Cherry Spray. Bitter Cherry Spray is a safe, alcohol-free taste deterrent formula developed by a veterinarian to discourage chewing and licking. $6.99
GOOD LUCK
The cats are beautiful! But not so cute in the tree. We used to have issues with the animals peeing on the tree. After all, it was a TREE in the house. Now everyone pretty much leaves the tree alone...thankfully. Good luck!
Oh no! And I thought toddlers were bad news with Christmas trees! Your cats are adorable, but Christmas time looks like a challenge with them. :) Good luck!
this is just too funny. I am totally laughing at the cat's in the tree.
OH MY!!!
Time to get the water spray bottle out. Spray them every time they go near it!
Well... considering how much fun those cats can have with one canvas tote bag, I can't say I'm totally surprised by this development...
Maybe you should get little shock collars and when the go for the tree hit em with a volt or two.
he he.... that wouldn't be nice.
but it would probably be a little bit funny.
That's my kitties. Go get the tree Jessie! Mmm Hmm.
oh yes ... our tree tips slightly more each day throughout the holiday season.
so far this year ... no one has been IN the tree.
but, we have a lot more days left.
(and i finally did my favorite things with the letter F homework!)
When our middle son was born we stopped putting up a real tree and started putting up a small artifical tree. One that we keep up on a table and away from the destructive hands of little ones. Every year I ask Hubby if we can go back to a real tree. and every year he said "not yet". The sad part is that I think he is right.
Oh dear. That is both sad AND hilarious. At least you got blog fodder from the unfortunousness of it all. Hmmm, somehow that seems a small, small consolation.
I remember my childhood cat ate the silver tinsel. That's when we stopped using tinsel and garland.
No felines in this household anymore. I do recall a Christmas ages ago when the cat knocked our tree down 3 times...broke tons of ornaments. I finally tyed the damn thing to the wall.
And, yes, as you saw in person this past weekend, we do have our tree up. I decided I was too tired and busy to put all the other BOXES and BOXES of decorative stuff out this year. Just the stockings, door wreath, Advent calendar and tree. Doug promises we will get the lights on the house finally. We'll see.
And I love your non-flash shooting. Very nice. I can show you another way to use your flash where it still looks like natural light (but you are able to take advantage of low situations better). Neato.
So are you telling me that you let the cats win. You don't have a Christmas tree? Are you kidding me? Lock them little hooligans up somewhere. It's Christmas for crying out loud. Geez. Are my sweet little girls upset about this?
I am going to enter the contest right now. Promise.
What a hoot. Our new cat climbed right up our artificial tree, too -- I'd never seen a cat zip up a tree so fast.
She also keeps eating the needles of the fiber optic tree in the family room.
We have french doors leading into our living room, where the main tree is set up. The doors are shut for the season -- we can still see the tree through the window, and can enter the room sans felines.
We rescued a shelter cat in October and I was a little nervous about putting up a tree. Naturally curious, she was right by my side while I was putting it together. She tasted it once and that was it. Now she loves to lie on the tree skirt and watch the lights. She is only about a year old and still has a lot of frisky in her, but she is such a good girl around the tree.
Hey you aren't the only ones that made provisions for pets. When I had two cats indoors a few years ago I put up the tree and came home to broken ornaments. Every. Day. So I bought the shatterproof ones and have been using them ever since even though I don't have any indoor pets now.
I know they terrorized your tree but they are so gosh darn cute doing it. ~And they have certainly grown since the last pics.~
Here's an alternate title...Merry CATmas!
LOL! They do make good ornaments!
I LOVE Hallmark Ornments...that is is my obsession.
I have four cats and two little boys and up until last year We only had bows and ribbons on my trees. Last year and this year I pulled out my collection of ornaments and resumed putting them back on and it has went well.
When MY Cats were kittens that however was a similiar story to your own.
No cats, no tree. No Christmas decorations for me. We are away from home and our minds are constantly on the roam. To the Christmas of Past when we were apt to Cast the cats out of our trees with the greatest of ease.
They are sooo cute! My cat did climb the tree once and he got squirted, he does bat at some ornaments every now and then. But is is under close supervision when he is around the tree. Love the Santa collection, great idea, might have to borrow it!
Looks like you got some great help with your tree.
I've had cats like that. That's why, when we were in Texas, the tree was placed in a room that neither the dog nor cat had access to. The cat knew it existed but was never allowed near it unless I was in the room with her. Now, in Va, I dont have a spare room to set it up in so it's still sitting in storage. It'll be there next year too as I simply dont have the space for it. Im hoping the next place is a bit roomier or else there's gonna be alot of stuff that isn't presently being used in the storage area instead of my tree!!
Oh, I am so sorry. Mine have never cared one way or another.
And yes, our tree is up and decorated!
I absolutely loved this series of photographs! Cutest thing I've seen all week!
Too cute! My tree has been up and decorated since the day after Thanksgiving and it will come down probably New Years Day or the weekend after that:-)
Fun post! I didn't put up a tree this year but I enjoyed all your Santas and the photos you've shared ... especially the ones with the cats.
Hugs and blessings,
Oh that is TOO funny!
My kitties are content to just lay under the tree and be happy. We just don't do any low ornaments. Of course they are 10 years old now so it is old hat for them.
I'm sitting here, laughing to the point of crying! I can so relate. When I was younger, I used to have a cat that would sit in the tree. You'd be on the phone and suddenly come eyeball to eyeball with a cat in the tree! Hehe. I don't put any ornaments past a certain height on the low levels, because Tigger (though he doesn't tree climb) - will bat at the ornaments (and eats the fake green pines!) and Pebbles (Greg's dog) - doesn't have good eyesite and runs into the bottom branches - so I keep those clear of ornaments. I LOVE Christmas, but each year, I hold my breath to see what cat-tastrophy will come to what ornament or decoration!
They are a force to be reckoned with...
...need we remind everyone that one of those beauties had SURGERY in November? To remove ingested...sponge, was it?
Bad kitties.
Yep...our tree is up...Brian put it up the day after Thanksgiving...he's so good like that! Really...he just doesn't like the way I put lights on, so he does it :0 All that being said...our tree is up and oh so beautiful BUT we can't turn the lights on because of canine destructicus!!! We've caught him chewing on the lights. Don't won't an electrocuted puppy for the holidays :o Nope, that would not be good at all. Your cats are way too cute for their own good :) I love those pictures! (And we add a little vinegar to our squirt bottle! I'm not sure that he really minds. He just looks around like "WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM!?")
Those are some purrrty kitties! How cute! Them, not what they did. LOL
Well, let's see. Our pug peed on the tree skirt. I think he was confused. Why is there a tree in the house? And our cat uses the base as a scratching post, otherwise, he could care less. And my toddler-zila. Well...yeah. No words.
Oh, how I remember the days of having cats. Way back when I had kitties, I remember one Christmas we went through TWO christmas trees!!! I LOVE the pictures you got!!
The pics of kitty in the tree reminds me of "Christmas Vacation"... he he he!
Our tree is up and decorated. Izzie has sniffed it a few times and that's about it. The only time she really bothers it is when she is playing and I guess forgets the tree is there... she has knocked into it a time or two...
I don't currently put a tree up, although I do put out a few decorations. Years ago, I had a couple cats, and one year my roommate told me that one of them had climbed the tree, but I have no proof of it. Both loved to sit and bat at the lower ornaments, so we didn't put them on the lowest branches, or we put unbreakable ones (satin balls are perfect). The other cat just loved to lay under the tree, right up against the tree stand. I would have to move him every night to water the tree (only a real tree for me).
My kids are totally digging the Advent calendar this year. Maybe cuz their grandma sent each of them their own chocolate one.
bad, bad kitties. those pictures are priceless. Instead of fighting it this year, I bought shatter-proof ornaments and kept all the reminiscable (I know that is not a word) ornaments in the box. Three kids under four decorated the tree and it looks "merry." At least the bottom 1/3 does.
OMG those cats are priceless! Love it! I can't believe they were up in the tree.
I have two toddlers, three dogs and one cat and so far so good with the tree.
A few years ago my cat chewed on my tree but she eventually stopped and hasn't tried this year. There has been no batting of the ornaments either. The kids have touched a few things here and there but so far so good.
The dogs haven't touched it this year so far. Last year I made the mistake of putting down the skirt and presents and the dogs peed on it constantly. I had thought I'd cleaned it up but afer christmas when I took everything away, there was tons of pee under the skirt (it was plastic) So this year, the dogs sleep in the bedroom and the skirt and present won't go there till christmas eve.
Ohhh that's hilarious! Absolutely hilarious. And I love how the two of them are always together getting in trouble there. Thank GOD my kitties leave the tree alone. Mostly.
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