Christmas Tree

Sue, my first guess is that the Christmas tree is probably not your only behavioral problem. Currently I'm in kitty behavior bootcamp so I'll know how to behave when I spend the night at grandma's for Christmas, here's a few tips from mom:
*Forget about the Christmas tree right now, it's a losing battle.
*Go buy a cheap spray bottle at Wal-Mart or a dollar store and fill it with water. When Sue does something wrong, spray her in the face and say "No" firmly. Ignore her for a few minutes.
*Praise, heap on the love and give treats at least 3x as much as you say "No." Spend more time playing with her and give her more attention.
*Once you see some improvement in total behavior, set the tree up slowly. Put all the pieces on the floor so she can check them out. Then put the tree up. Leave it up for a few days and then add the lights. Put the ornaments on the floor and let her check them out. If she tries to play with one, redirect her to one of her toys. Our tree is up and neither cat has touched it.
Good luck!

Zoe's and Daisy's comments pretty much hit the nail on the head. It takes patience and willingness to compromise, at least at first till she is used to the change. Imagine yourself as Sue, and see how intriguing having a tree in your house would be. At least she's not a male who might lift his leg on it. We had that problem for awhile.

Spunky Sue- Ernest T and I got in trouble last night for playing under the tree. I'd run under it and he tried to follow but he's a little tall for under the tree. His Mama smacked his bottom and she got me too. Of course, his Mama's smack bottoms aren't that hard:0). She's a softy. But, Grandma was not entertained so we didn't try that again. The tree is huge. If it falls over, there's gonna be some damage. Grandma mentioned something about living outside. I think she's all talk but we aren't taking any chances. We just played tag in the kitchen.

ETB, surely your Grandma was referring to the TREE living outside, not you.

Yep, I think she was talking about me and the cat. I don't see it happening. She pointed and said--Stay out of the tree!. I went over and laid my head on her leg and gave her the face....She said it doesn't work but we all know it does. (hee, hee)

When the tree is up, that's where I keep my hoofie stash. I enjoy going under there ar night and chewing by the tree lights. It's very festive. Since I'm under there, no one else dares to go under becuase they KNOW better.

The tree seems more tempting this year. My human sis has this Barbie ornament that spins and it's really calling me. I've been batting it lightly. Maybe later I'll swat at it real good....

Our artificial tree is fun! I like to chew on the branches and knock the ornaments around. I really like to lay underneath the tree and take my nap. This morning mom gave me my treats while I was under the tree. We've never knocked the tree over, but we have knocked the angel off of the top. It just takes patience--the spray bottle idea might work. We hate the spray bottle! Good luck!

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Scat%20Mat&search-type=best&tag=coffeeresearch96177-20&index=garden&link%5Fcode=qs

years ago we had this problem, so i bought one of these. worked like a charm! unfortunately, one time when it was not plugged in, my cat, powder, chewed the cord in half. BRAT! anyhow, this is a great training device, worked better than the water squirt. ;o)

We have had that problem with our real tree since the 1970's!! I remember sitting down to supper and watching our tree sway and then crash to the floor! Since then we have taken a plant hook in the ceiling and used a wire to attach the tree to the hook. It has been fine ever since! Try that out to see if it will work for you!!

My mom has never used them but has read that Scat Mats work for that kinda stuff with cats. They're battery operated and give a static sensation when stepped on.

one of mom's coworkers said to tie balloons to the tree.

See if the zoo has any tiger urine or tiger feces. The female biped uses it to keep deer and rabbits out of the flower beds in the front yard. Of course, if it's an indoor tree, that might be overkill.

Ma took some fishing line and wrapped it around the tree (a little higher than half-way up) then tied it to a hook on the wall. If we jumped with all our might, it could come down. But bumping and sliding into it doesn't make it fall over. The spray bottle idea is good too. Good Luck, Spunky Sue!!

zoey, you're right. i do have a lot of bad habits. mom isn't sure what my life was like before the shelter but she doesn't think anyone taught me any manners. i walk around and climb on counters, i drink from the toilet if anyone leaves the lid up, i jet for the door when anyone opens it (mom has had to find me at least 5 times), i am known for peeing in the living room by the entertainment center, mom says i have the most awful smelling poopy, and this morning she caught me rubbing my behind on the carpet after i used my box. i also scavenge under my 4 year old human step-sisters when they eat dinner.