Cat Vs. Tree

Wherein I document the ongoing saga of Tessie’s yearly Christmas re-decorating.

Year 1

November 26, 2011

Day One: Hiding amongst the foliage.

Cat’s note: I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK!
Human’s note: OK so far.

November 27, 2011

Day Two: Redecorating.

Human’s note: I woke up to see this right outside my bedroom door this morning… up a flight of stairs and down the hall from the tree.
Cat’s note: What? I was asleep on your bed.

Human’s note: Something’s missing… I’m just glad it’s not the one off the top of the tree.
Cat’s note: Looks fine to me.

Cat’s note: Could this innocent little face have done that?
Human’s note: YES.

January 7, 2012

A few weeks later, the realization hit: this is a perfect place to nap, especially with her favorite new toy.

This is now her favorite spot.  Too bad it’s time to take down the tree.

Final tally: Cat 1, Tree 1

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Year 2

November 25, 2012

Last year my fluffy little friend dragged the garland off the tree and into the upstairs bedroom the first night, so this year I decided to wait and do the garland in the morning.  But when I woke up, something looked askew about 2/3 of the way up.

1

Five whole branches were out of their sockets.  I sort of think I would have noticed if it had happened when I put the lights on the top section.  Now I can’t really prove anything, but someone is verrrrry tired this morning….

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Year 3

November 30, 2013

Time to deck the halls! (But first, a nap someplace warm…)

She’s thinking: “The lights are already off the tree. My work here is done.”

Stupid lights are impossible to untangle!

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Year 5

December 1, 2015

Posted here without comment:

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Year 6

November 28, 2016

Year 6, Day 1: It’s a good thing I have such a brave cat to guard my house and valiantly fight off this giant monster that stood in the living room all day just waiting to attack us with shiny lights and prickly branches (or something).

And as soon as I sat down, she curled up on my lap. “Oh, human, I’m so glad you’re safe.” (As the tree looks on menacingly in the background.)

January 2, 2017

Cat vs. Tree, Year 6, The Final* Chapter

I had my tree nicely decorated with silver garland, like I do every year (see Figure 1).  Every so often when I got home from work, I would find that my furry feline friend had taken to redcorating (see Figure 2).  I’d shake my head and fix it, and everything was fine until one day she coughed up a hairball that glittered (not pictured).  Off came the bottom row of garland, and the next few days passed without incident.  Then she started on the second row of garland.  So it all came off (not easy with all the ornaments on), and after Christmas I found some strands of beads on clearance.  It’s different, but I think it looks nice (see Figure 3).  And then this morning I woke up to find… (see Figure 4).

*Maybe… for now anyway… actually probably not.

Figure 1.  Nice tree, decorated with garland, just the way I like it.  (Actually this pic is after I had taken off the bottom row of garland.)

Figure 2.  Tessie’s idea of redecorating.

Figure 3.  Redone with beads.  Innocent-looking kitty chilling peacefully underneath.

Figure 4.  Seriously, Tessie?

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Year 7

November 27, 2017

It has begun. Not even any ornaments on yet, and my assistant is already redecorating.

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Year 9

November 30, 2019

I haven’t even gotten the tree up yet, and Tessie’s already plotting how to get it down.

“We meet again…”

December 5, 2019

Saved by the bell!  We learned many years ago, when our dog wagged his tail near the tree as he looked out the living room window, to always hang bell ornaments on the bottom branches.  At 1:00 this morning I was glad I did, as I was alerted to this developing situation before it got worse.  I think she was starting to climb, because the whole branch is out of whack (and I heard her jump down when I yelled).

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To be continued…