Family Tree - Kitty Tree

When my son was just a toddler, he was fascinated with the Christmas tree. He wanted to touch the ornaments and wanted to take them off the tree and replace them. My solution to this dilemma was to purchase a small tree that was meant just for him. We made paper and felt and wooden ornaments and other unbreakable decorations for his tree. He was content and left the "family tree" alone. He played with his tree for hours at a time. Household pets are also attracted to Christmas trees and decorations, especially cats. Anything hanging down from the tree is an open invitation for them to swat or pull. Tinsel, I'm told, is not healthy for pets, and yet the sparkles are so fascinating to them. I wondered if creating a tree just for the family cat might be a good idea, and it proved to be just that. The kitty's tree is a small one, even smaller than the one I got for my son when he was young. The tree stands only about eighteen inches high. On our playtime tree, I placed cat toys, cheap, unbreakable ornaments, and bells. Ribbons and yarn hang down, inviting our cat to pull and swat at them. I placed the cat's tree in a large, shallow box, also decorated for Christmas, so at least it blends in with our other holiday decor. Some of the ornaments are wired to the tree. Others are easily swatted down from the tree limbs, so the cat can play with them. To keep the cat's attention directed at her tree, and not the family tree, some of the ornaments and toys are stuffed with catnip. Our precious cat can knock her Christmas tree over. She can swat the whole tree or she can swat at individual ornaments. She can pull yarn from the tree and drag it all over the house. (We just replace the yarn later, so she can start all over again.) Of course, our cat is still fascinated with the family Christmas tree, especially when the lights are lit. But she knows that if she tries swatting at that tree, she will hear that sound that she hates most - the spray bottle filled with water. We never actually have to spray her anymore. Just the sound of that bottle is enough to remind her that the family tree is just something she can admire from afar. Our cat is an important part of our family, and she deserves to enjoy the holiday just as much as we do. She loves having her very own tree. We love knowing that big Christmas tree will stand tall for the entire season. The cat no longer tries to knock it down. Marilyn Mackenzie has been writing about home, family, faith and nature for over 40 years. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Mackenzie