How The Kitty Stole Christmas

Sarah Kester
Cat playing in Christmas tree
Unsplash | kevin turcios

Forget How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the real story is about this Cat who seems to be thieving the decorations!

This little kitty, named Walter, sure is channeling his inner-Scrooge. He's made it his life's mission to tear down the tree each year. Every night, he sneaks downstairs and steals the decorations, one by one, leading to a viral video you have to see to believe.

What is it With Cats and Christmas Trees?

Cat climbing a Christmas tree
Giphy

Year after year, owners have to go through the trouble of cat-proofing their trees, all because kitty has some sort of vendetta against the carefully-placed ornaments and tinsel.

So, what's the deal? Veterinarian Dr. Liz Bales, founder of Doc&Phoebe’s Cat Co, explained why cats hate Christmas trees to Best Life:

“You just installed the most amazing, real-life climbing tree in your home, then covered it with enticing dangling fabulous toys and you expect to be able to keep your cat away from it? I’m going to make this really easy for you: You can’t."

Hanging Objects Look Like Toys

Christmas ornament
Unsplash | Sandra Seitamaa

In addition to this, cats' claws are designed to help them climb trees and escape predators out in the wild. By putting a tree up and adorning it with hanging objects, you're basically asking for your cat to think of it like a playground.

A cat hanging out in your Christmas tree is more than just annoying - it's also dangerous. According to the Pet Poison Helpline, tinsel is toxic to cats. If they were to ingest it, it could cause serious harm to their bodies, including the intestinal tract. Pine needles from real trees can also cause serious harm if ingested.

Why Cat-Proofing Your Tree Is So Important

Cat playing with ornament
Giphy

A good rule of thumb for this is avoiding tinsel and making sure that your tree is well-secured so that the cat can't knock it over.

Even with these changes, some cats can't stay away, like Walter, who has gone viral for stealing his family's tree decorations!

Night After Night, Walter Steals A Different Item

The viral video was complete perfection with Michael Bublé's It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas playing in the background.

People got such a kick out of the furry Grinch, they took to the comments, "I can't wait to see what he has done with the decorations. I'm sure his place looks amazing," one said.

"Does Walter have his own tree, he needed decorations I guess," another wrote, which prompted his owner to share that Walter has his own small tree upstairs for all his stolen items.