Christmas Trouble Maker

Christmas was about two months away and I kept asking my husband for a kitten for the kids. Of course he kept telling me no, that’s the last thing that we need right now. I told him that I thought it would be a great pet for the kids and they are inexpensive, he should think about it a little more before just saying no.

It was about three weeks until Christmas and my husband was late coming home from work - by the time he had gotten home the kids were in bed. When he walked in the front door he had a little grey kitten in his arms. With a huge smile on his face he bellowed out, “Merry Christmas” and handed me the kitten.

The next day I got up and showed the kids the new member of the family. They could not believe that they got a new kitten for Christmas. They loved him immediately and their delight was evident by the beaming smiles on their faces. We decided to call him Tidas.

After I introduced everybody I took Tidas into the living room and as soon as I put him down he ran right to my Christmas tree. He instantly started smacking at the ornaments.

We tried to distract him with cat toys but he kept going back to my tree. I had forgotten about the troubles that kittens are - getting into stuff they shouldn't, climbing up shelves and knocking stuff down. I could tell I was going to have big problems with my new baby and the Christmas tree.

It had been about two weeks since we got Tidas and my Christmas tree had already been knocked down about twenty times, several ornaments had been broken and a few presents torn open, I was very frustrated. I started thinking of what I could use to block this itty bitty kitten from climbing up my tree or going around my tree and presents.

I had a play yard play pen for the kids that I was not using any more and I thought that it would perfect to put around the tree to block the cat and the kids. I got the playpen around the tree, the tree put back together with all the ornaments hanging, sparkling lights and the presents rewrapped and placed under the tree.

Finally, I had won the war - Tidas could not get to the Christmas tree or the presents anymore!

I will never forget the Christmas we got Tidas, we all had to redecorate the Christmas tree every night that year until we put that gate around the tree. I had forgotten how playful kittens are and the next time I ask for a new pet I am going to think twice about it and make sure I am ready for the challenges they bring to me.