# Started Christmas display and cats are excited



## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

:santaI noticed that the neighbors are all starting to decorate for Christmas early this year. 
It’s always been the day after Thanksgiving for me, but since we are having dinner at our daughter’s home, we decided to start the Christmas tree display early too.

The tree display is huge and takes a week to set up unless I make changes. I have it razed up off the floor and it provides a maze underneath for the cats to play. This year I may have to close it off to them, because my Squirts loves to chew on the wires and I’m afraid of what could happen. She is just one lucky cat I just don’t understand how she’s been spared from electrocution from this habit. 

I wish I knew how to keep squirts from chewing on the wires. The cats really love playing under there and it preoccupies them enough that they don’t go on top as much. 

I have 3 cans of SSSCAT to keep them off the top, but they still get by then the can will go off after they’re on top and then they usually damage things as they flee. 

Anyway I brought everything inside yesterday, but I’m just not into it like I used to be without a house full of kids. I wonder if I can rent some for Christmas. LOL
:xmasstree


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I can't wait to put our Christmas tree! Winston and Nyska are pretty good about staying away from the tree. The thing they really get into is the presents, specially the ones with ribbons.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

try spraying the wires with bitter apple spray!


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

This is an old photo but I’ve never been able to keep the cats out of the Christmas tree.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

I love that photo! How cute!


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Mitts & Tess said:


> try spraying the wires with bitter apple spray!


 Thanks, I turned the platform on its side and fastened all the wires up to the plywood so nothing is hanging down. I spent most of the day trying to figure out where each light is going to be for the Christmas Village. I’m not sure yet but tomorrow I may cover the wires with an old sheet or something.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

A few years ago I bought a narrow tree that was on clearance at Sears. I was look for something small in the family room so I could have something to look at while I’m on the computer or watching TV. I didn’t have a lot of space so I got the skinniest tree I could find. The cats aren’t too interested in it. 

I thought I had a photo of it but I guess I’ll have to wait until it’s up this year.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

*Squirts can’t wait*

She is still waiting for the tree and just doesn’t understand that I have a lot to do yet before the tree goes up, but I can tell She knows its Christmas.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Wow, that's quite an impressive display!

The pic of your cats snuggled under the tree is so cute. Maybe it's the warmth of the lights; my cats love to sit under there too:


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Oh that's cute. I’m so glad I’m not the only one. LOL. I know I shouldn’t allow it but they are just so cute climbing around in the tree.

And yes it is a very large display that started years ago with major changes every year. I’m only making minor changes this year and I’m not sure if this is going to be the last year I put it up. The family has moved all over the country and neighbors have moved on. It was always about the kids and we used to have close to a hundred kids coming by to see it. Now it’s down to just a few and even though I do enjoy it, I feel kind of silly going through all this trouble and not being able to share it.

It looks like I’m not going to have enough time to get this tree up for a few weeks because I’m going to Las Vegas for most of next week. And I have to work a few 10hr days. Anyway I don’t want to bore anybody, but I have a YouTube video of the display from last Christmas if anybody is interested. Except the cats aren't in it


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Very cute pics though it made me cry because Razzle used to get into my christmas villages but he died in July. I have videos from last year of him in it. I set up my living room with villages and now that i have a new cat tree that Geets doesn't use (only Razzle used it) I decorated it, my computer desk, and the entertainment center. Be very *careful* with wires. My friend's cat burned her mouth extremely bad two weeks ago. We hope she will pull through.

Kathy


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

your pictures are adorable! 

as far as the wires go, I don't have any first hand experience with this, but I do know that they sell some thick foam tubes you can squeeze wires in to to protect them. There's also some hard plastic ones and even ones made for cats that have some kind of orange scent on them. Check around on Amazon, maybe?


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

What an elaborate setup!

Our house is pretty disorganized. Last year I think we got a tree up two days before Christmas. A few years before that, we went to get a tree and everywhere was sold out (we usually get them from boy scouts), we went to one store and they had _one_ left. The store was so busy we eventually walked off with the tree seeing as no one was helping us make the purchase for like 15 minutes despite asking for help a few times; they hadn't even realised they had a tree left before we asked to buy it since they'd taken down all their signage about the trees. We made sure they didn't have one left. 

Hopefully we'll get a tree up at least a week before Christmas this year. We leave the trees up for about two weeks.

... I've never had a cat climb in the trees. I guess I have very unadventurous cats. A friend's cat always goes in their tree and runs off with a collection of their Christmas decorations.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

H, I had a free week in Las Vegas at a deluxe suite with full kitchen and separate Bedroom with a Jacuzzi tub so the Christmas display is on hold for now. I’m in Las Vegas now and I was having internet withdraws so yesterday bought a small cheap laptop, but was having so many problems with the Internet service here and just now got connected. I just have such a hard time posting from those little cellphone screen. 

Well anyway I tore the display all apart on Saturday and rewired it to be safer for the Cats after finding my favorite cat Squirts chewing on a wire. Luckily it was a low voltage one. I also ordered LED replacement lights so that if they do happen n to bite through it will not burn them and hopefully they will just receive a little shock at the most. They would have to bite through both sides of the wire at the same time for anything worst, which is unlikely with their small mouths. A dog could easily bite through with one bite.

I didn't get it finished on Sunday before leaving on the trip and i don' know when I'll be getting the new LED bulbs, so I'll have to finish when I get back.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

I'm forgoing a Christmas tree this particular year... I don't trust two kittens to keep out of it and even if I could handle them tipping the tree or something, I'm in my mom's house, and she'd go balistic...


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

See an opportunity to post a pic of your cat.... SEIZE IT! 

Truman, last year.


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## Galathiel (Feb 6, 2012)

That's an adorable picture. Does anyone else's cat freak out if you point a camera (or phone) at them? I was able to get some decent pics with my new phone by using the zoom but she scurries off if I get too close.


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## artiesmom (Jul 4, 2012)

My last cat, Pumpkin absolutely loved the tree! too much!
Had to tie it to the wall! and then she would eat the artificial leaves!!
and also the garland! She also played with, broke the glass ornaments and tried eating the others! 
She even woke us up (before we tied it down) with a crash! Yup, tree was down! 
and when we couldn't find her, she would be hiding in the tree!!
and this is when I was living at home with both my parents watching her!
The spray did not work for her..she saw the can and ran but that was it for effectiveness!

Now with Artie, this is my first year~ I am up in the air about a tree anyway..dad died a year ago.....and was put on hospice day after Christmas...so mixed feelings...
I think I will just do a few decorations...table top stuff---non edible to him...if my ceramic reindeer break, ok--they will not shatter...so I will take my chances..bought a fabric modernistic tree at Target for the centerpiece...that will do it this year..ARtie does love plastic..so the 7.5 ft tree is out...
:santa


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## GhostTown (Jan 12, 2012)

Galathiel said:


> That's an adorable picture. Does anyone else's cat freak out if you point a camera (or phone) at them? I was able to get some decent pics with my new phone by using the zoom but she scurries off if I get too close.


If you can, leave the image capturing device (lol) laying around in an area where they can become comfortable with it. Or, before taking photos place it near them for a while.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

I love the Christmas photos, keep them coming. :jump

Talking about the cats eating the tree, when I was a kid my family always had plenty of tinsel on the tree and one year I thought I might get some just for old time’s sake even though my wife didn’t care for it. Well at the first handful the cats went ballistic and I immediately realized that wasn’t going to work. Luckily I stopped when I did, because it was a mess to clean up.

Years ago when my grandson was just learning to walk, I had to build an enclosure around the tree to keep him out and Squirts was on hand to supervise as usual.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

I finally got the tree in place and haven’t even started decorating it when Squirts is already up on the ladder. You just cannot set a ladder up anywhere without her climbing up it.

Notice that the black cats are underneath it. When I first walked in all the black cats were under the tree with Squirts up on the ladder, but as soon as I grabbed my camera the black ones ran underneath.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Your train display is fabulous. I love the fence so your toddler cant get in too. Nicely done.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Mitts & Tess said:


> Your train display is fabulous. I love the fence so your toddler cant get in too. Nicely done.


 Thank you very much. He was only about 9 months old when that photo was taken and he’s going on 6 years now so I don’t use the fence anymore. 

Last year I had a moment of insanity and added a train around the outside which added 12 inches to it and now I’m planning on a completely new display for next year. This one has totally got out of control and I need to figure out how to knock it down a couple of feet all the way around.

I’m a builder and when I’m not creating something, I’m bored. It’s so much fun creating it, but then I don’t know what to do when it’s done so I end up changing it. I wish I had a job where I could build stuff like this all the time for a living. 

I had a friend that worked for the movie studios building props and such. I was so envious and then he quit and started building houses. Well I was stunned at first, but I understood that he wanted to make more money for his family.

Anyway I’m a little behind from going out of town last week and I have to go back to work tomorrow. I hope that I’ll be able to get enough done today that I’ll be able to finish by the end of the week.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

The Christmas display is amazing, and your house is just spectacular. I wish I had your creativity and skill.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Leazie said:


> The Christmas display is amazing, and your house is just spectacular. I wish I had your creativity and skill.


 Thanks, but right now I don’t feel like the house is so great because of the huge mess. 

Each year I try to make it easier and faster to set up by making everything modular and then I ruin it by making changes. I really have to start downsizing, because I don’t have any more space to store anymore. I had to build a large storage shed out back just to store Christmas Stuff. 

Here is a video of last year’s display. I’m a little embarrassed because it was a new camera and I didn’t know how to operate it verywell. It took me multiple tries and I finally gave up.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

*chewing on the wires again*

I caught Squirts chewing on the wires again. I was hoping to be completely done buy this weekend but it looks like I’m going to have to enclose the bottom. I wish I was a better artist so I could paint something cool and Christmassy around the bottom.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Im speechless. I watched your video. Its the nicest display with trains Ive ever seen. A couple Christmas's ago we went on a tour, with a train buff, of train displays in homes at Christmas. Yours outshines anything I saw that day!WOW!


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Mitts & Tess said:


> Im speechless. I watched your video. Its the nicest display with trains Ive ever seen. A couple Christmas's ago we went on a tour, with a train buff, of train displays in homes at Christmas. Yours outshines anything I saw that day!WOW!


 :xmasstreeThank you very much. Its little comments like this that make it all worth while :santa


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Well I was almost done when I discovered that some of my light weren’t working.








Then I found out the cat bit through my light cord so I had to solder it back together


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I just saw your video. Your set up is stunning! It is so amazing. Thank you for posting the video. It is one of those things where pictures are worth a thousand words. It is one of the neatest Christmas decorations I have ever seen.


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Jetlaya67 said:


> I just saw your video. Your set up is stunning! It is so amazing. Thank you for posting the video. It is one of those things where pictures are worth a thousand words. It is one of the neatest Christmas decorations I have ever seen.


Thank you so much.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Breathtaking!


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## builder (Sep 2, 2012)

Leazie said:


> Breathtaking!


Thank you Leazie

I noticed the train had derailed for no reason when I left the room. I straighten it out and sat down to have some coffee when I was surprised by Aurora playing Cat & Mouse with the Train. She was just about to attack when I grabbed the camera and startled her.


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