How to Decorate Safely for Christmas with Cats in House

We luv 'em, don't we? Our family members of the feline pursuasion warm our hearts and tickle our funny bones with the stunts they pull.

These little cutiepies know the minute something is different in their environment. This will add to the challenge of placing holiday-related decorations inside the home. However, with a little bit of ingenuity and the guts to be a little different from your neighbors, you can preserve your holiday keepsakes despite your in-house investigators' skills.

This may sound odd, since we know that cats can and do leap to amazing heights. However, perhaps you know of a space or two in your home which your cat has never bothered. Try placing a holiday decoration there. Of course, we know that there is no guarantee that your cat will not discover this heretofor untried perch the day before you planned to put a holdiay decoration there.

You also may want to use flat, two-dimensional items on the walls near the ceilinv - in placese there are no toeholds for felines.

This concept is entirely foreign to persons without toddler (humans) or cats of any age. Nevertheless, it becomes necessary to think outside the box (actually, INSIDE the box) when displaying delicate decorations in a home where mischevious cats dwell. I have owned my manger scene for over three decades. It is hand-painted breakable clay. You know what would happen if my frisky kitten got within a paw's lenngth of it: Baby Jesus would be batted around like a toy mouse! The creche would become the props for a game of "Manger Football!" Nothing doing, kitties!

Therefore, I put my creche inside a large, clear plastic storage box. Although it is transparent-clear by storage box standards, there is some light distortion. It appears as one would imagine a Nativity diorama in an aquarium to look. But, it beats not having one displayed at all.

Many ctas dislike the scents of the citrus plants family. If your cat is programmed to dislike citrus-y smells, yse this knowlede place tangerine peels next to precious items. Alternatively, obtain citrus air freshener sprays and keep an amount in the Christmas tree room to ward off a feline tree-climber's dream:

We know that cats adore batting at hanging strings. Celiling fan cords, laces on sweatshirt hoods, cords on mini-blinds - these all are the equivalent of the Pied Piper's call to a kitty. So, why would a cat owner even consider using tinsel or dangling ribbons in holiday decorating? Besides having a very low chance of surviving intact, these materials are very dangerous for a cat. Their ingestion can lead to death.

So, no tinsel. No strands of beads, cranberries, or popcorn on the tree. No long ribbon with dangling mistletoe. No strings on packages or decorations which the cat can reach. Unless it is enclosed and under lock and key, do not use stringy thingies in your winter (or anytime) holiday fancifying.

It can be done. Just think of all the places your pet likes to be and all the things she likes to touch. With that list in mind, put your decorations anywhere that did not make the list and can still be seen by you. Hmmmm... did we forget the ceiling?

Photo and text copyright 21012 Maren E. Morgan.