My Pet World: Are pets as gifts a good idea for the holidays?
Letting the cats get used to the tree and making sure the ornaments aren't breakable are both good ideas. One of the prettiest Christmas trees I have ever seen was decorated with fake white carnation-like flowers with the wire wrapped around each branch, which made it impossible for the cats to knock off the tree. The tree looked amazing.
So that cats and dogs aren't tearing open presents early, wrap them without bows and ribbons, and hold off putting them under the tree until Christmas Eve.
Dear Cathy,
We had a Persian cat that loved to bring down our holiday tree -- glass ornaments and all. Our tree was typically displayed near a window, so we hit on the idea to use high-strength fishing wire from the top of our tree to the curtain rod. It's synthetic and relatively invisible. Problem solved! -- Joanne, Naperville, IL
Dear Joanne,
Many people tie fishing line from the tree to a screw or hook in the wall or ceiling to keep the tree upright, so your curtain rod tip is right on track. You also can make the tree stand tip-proof by expanding the base. Screw the stand into 1/4-inch thick hardboard (4'x4') with pan head machine screws.
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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)
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