Cute Cat Christmas Ornaments for the Cat Lover

Cat are ornaments to our lives at any season, yes, of course, but we who are true feline fanciers know there's just something about the winter holidays that makes it so they reallllllly can't resist the urge to help decorate in earnest.

Rustling paper, mysterious boxes, sparkling things that dangle so enticingly in front of Kitty's nose, delicious scents of wonderful food, and excitement all through the home -

"There's a tree indoors!

Oooh, shiny!"

- so much to love about this season, when you're a furry fiend!

And since our kitties so clearly want to be in the midst of the festivities, why not decorate your tree and home in a feline theme, with cute and colorful cat ornaments for the Christmas holidays?

Featured: The playful white kitten in a Santa hat is the Christmas Cat collectible figurine by Charming Purrsonalities called "I Have Just the Gift for You," one of a totally adorable holiday series.

Chubby black cats have something funny to say about celebrating Christmas! Accented in green, red and white hats and scarves, these cat ornaments are hand crafted and hand painted overseas from designs by American ceramics artist Lorrie Veasey of the light-hearted Our Name is Mud.

Located in New Jersey, USA, Lorrie also creates a line of made-in-America originals that you can find online in her Etsy store, lennymud, which she's named after her own cat, Lenny.

This blur in the photo above is Kitty, headed for the Christmas tree. My thinking is, since she is bound and determined to climb up there and play with the dangling decorations and garlands, we might as well dangle a few decorative feline friends from the branches for her to bat around, too. No tinsel, though, of course, and the breakables are set up too high for her to reach.

You can bet my collection of beautiful blown-glass ornaments, some vintage and some in vintage style, are always put on the highest limbs of the Christmas tree. That way, I can enjoy my favorite decorations without stress, and Kitty can amuse herself by inspecting (and batting at) the sturdy ceramics and resin ornaments that are more cat-friendly and bring color to the lower branches.

If you already collect those shining blown-glass ornaments that a lot of us grew up with (and then artists like Radko brought back into vogue again in more recent years), you really do need a kitty or two to round out the display!And if you - or someone you love - is a cat person, well, a tiny glass replica of your favorite moggie would be just the thing for your Christmas tree. Cats, of course, are decorative all year round... (You'll be sure to hang these and any other breakables up high, of course, away from the batting paws of your resident kitty and any little human friends he may have, irresistably drawn to the sparkling lights and shiny baubles!)

Jim Shore cat ornaments are absolutely distinctive - there's no mistaking a Jim Shore design - and highly collectible of course. This jaunty Santa Cat is one of my favorite seasonal decorations with a feline flare.

Check out the I'm-so-over-it expression on this fellow's face, and the beautiful fine detail in the painting!

Handcrafted one-of-a-kind zombie cat - what's not to love? This resin ornament is tough enough to hang on a tree even in a home where a wild feline like our Kitty likes to bat at the branches, yet crafted with oodles of detail to make it interesting.

Choose your ornaments with your pets in mind

One thing to look out for when you're choosing Christmas tree ornaments or other festive decorations - and that includes the pretty bowls of seasonal snacks we like to put out for guests, not to mention all the ribbons and wrappings on gifts and packages around our homes at this time of year. (Who hasn't seen a trail of tinsel in the litter box, for example - funny? Not at all. That piece of tinsel could have done serious harm to your kitty!)

While you're pet-proofing your house in regard to holiday treats, by the way, don't underestimate how high a dog can jump or a cat can climb, and how easily they can learn to open a cupboard or drawer, if there's an irresistible smell coming from inside! Similarly, if your playful young kitten is a tree-climber, perhaps it's best to put away the breakable ornaments until he's older and settled down a bit, when simply hanging them out of reach is more likely to be effective.