Cat Vs Christmas Bow

The Truce of the Tree held, so to speak. My cat, Zoey, at least acknowledges that she shouldn't climb in the tree and is quick to jump down and hide whenever I catch her at it. There have been no more ornament casualties. I decided that this is the best I can hope for. The Christmas tree, for its part, seems unconcerned. I thought that my cat's reign of terror on Christmas might have come to an end. I was wrong.

I worried that the same animosity Zoey displayed toward the Christmas tree might carry over to other Christmas aspects as well. I fretted over non-tree decorations, cooking, and of course, presents. But as gifts began to accumulate under the tree, all brightly wrapped and begging to be scratched, it seemed that my fears were unfounded. Zoey reserved her claws for her scratching post, the furniture, and the occasional leg. Though she often scampered over and through the presents, scattering them from their picture-perfect positions, she apparently meant them no harm.

The little plastic bows, however, were destined for a different fate. Not two days after I fastidiously placed the little sparkly bows on a few gifts, did they begin to disappear just as quickly as I put them on. As I studied the problem in consternation, Zoey herself scurried in front of me, juggling a glittery green bow between her paws. She proceeded to carry it around in her mouth like a trophy, drop it, pounce on it, and begin the process again. All throughout the house, the sounds of cat and bow permeated. Unlike the toys that we bought her for this purpose, Zoey apparently doesn't get tired of Christmas bows. In three days, all three original bows were savagely torn from their respective presents and scattered throughout the house, to be tormented whenever the cat happened upon them.

Grudgingly, I acknowledged that in this case, there could be no truce. I surrendered the use of cheap plastic bows on presents, vowing that not one would be applied until the gift was about to leave the house. I pretend that the cat doesn't know her victory. She certainly isn't more prim in her saunter or more vain when asking for attention. It would be silly to think that her nose lifted just a little higher when I give her food or clean her box. As for me, I just cross my fingers and hope that her reign of terror doesn't spread. Maybe I should post guards around those Christmas cookies after all.