O Tannenbaum (mit Katzen)
Last night we put up our Christmas tree. As you can see, we had supervision (click on the pictures to embiggen).
Sherman and Rupert had to investigate the tree before it was out of the box. For quality control, of course.
Sherman made it to the top before we even finished assembling the tree.
Nutmeg checks to make sure the branches are all in order. She’s a useful cat.
And Ingrid, of course, is unimpressed.
It’s a fake tree, of course. Years ago, when we lived in Dixon, we would go to the Silveyville Christmas Tree Farm every year, hunt down an unsuspecting tree, cut it down, net it, and bring it back to our house, like mighty hunters. The last year we went to the tree farm, though, we just kind of sat in the parking lot and looked at a tree that was already cut down and netted and leaning against the fence. We asked the elf about it and were told that it had been cut down, purchased, and taken home, only to cause sneezing and hives to the family. So it was brought back.
“We’ll take it,” we said. For some reason, we just didn’t feel the urge or even the desire to cut down our own tree that year. The next year, we just decided to go with an artificial tree and be done with it. So we went to Target and bought the nicest one we could find. Nowadays, we just take the tree down from the attic and assemble it (with supervision, of course).
What about you? Fake or real?
‘Tis the season for Holidailies
Fake. And smaller and smaller every year. There’s something holly-jolly about going out, finding, and cutting a live tree. My family did it every year when I was a little-bitty. But it’s all such a production, and such a mess at the end – needles everywhere! This year I bought a new one – the first in maybe 8 years (the lights burned out on the old, pre-lit one, and I don’t have the skills to find the burned out bulb in order to restore the whole section of lights). It’s one of those skinny ones, and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet – but it’s still not decorated, either. My dogs supervise my own decorating, and while they mill around under my feet while I’m carrying boxes, they don’t tend to try and climb the tree….
I can’t even imagine a dog climbing the Christmas tree. My parents have two, and as far as I know, neither of them have attempted it.
Fake here as well! It looks real and with a few pine scented plug ins around, it has fooled a few visitors. We’ve been lucky – the kitty cats haven’t attempted to climb it… yet.
I’ll be honest. One of the reasons we enjoy putting up the tree is because we actually look forward to watching how the cats react to it, whether they climb it or just bap at it. We put on cheap, soft ornaments that can withstand punishment. 🙂
We do live, but it exhausts me anymore since I usually have two trees to decorate: the home tree, and the one at the office. Frankly, after I’m done with one I’m just DONE.
I don’t blame you!
We’ve had for almost 20 years, ever since we had a real one die a week before Christmas. The dead needles are the pits.
This year we’ve set ours up by the window next to the front door. It looks really pretty there. So far Felix has played speed bag with the lowest ornaments, but he hasn’t seemed interested (yet) in ascending to the summit. Bluebelle and Olivia have never been interested.
What’s annoying is that the fake tree drops needles as well. Every year after Christmas we have to vacuum them up.
That makes me miss my cat Sammy! He loved Christmas Tree Putting Up day! He also liked hiding in the Christmas tree box. This is going to be my first Christmas without him! He died of cancer in February. 🙁
Yeah, I understand. It’s been four years, and I still miss Tangerine. She didn’t give a hoot about the Christmas tree, but she was still a spiffy cat.