Callie Smith Grant - The Cat in the Christmas Tree: And Other True Stories of Feline Joy and Merry Mischief

Y ears ago, my husband and I adopted a feral cat who had been hanging around our home. Once she decided she trusted us enough to walk into our house, she would not be leavingshe would become a 24/7 house cat. Her adjustment to indoor life was not immediate, but soon enough she seemed to accept this as a good moveless stress, plenty of food for the asking, and humans at her beck and call. In turn, she rather quickly became a well-behaved kitty, which we appreciated.

As we approached her first Christmas, however, I wondered how the cat might react to the Christmas tree. We brought in a tall Fraser fir and let it stand empty for a few days to see what she would do.

She did nothing. She simply enjoyed looking at it, even after it was decorated. She would perch on the couch and watch us putter around the tree. Shed occasionally lift her nose to the piney smell. Thats all. Shed fended for herself long enough, and it seemed she liked everything about this new indoor life. And a tree? Not that impressive. Shed been hiding under them outdoors for months.

Our new cat especially enjoyed watching the blinking lights once they were strung. At the Christmas season, one thing is certainin this darkest time of the year, the world becomes brighter and more colorful. Gold and silver and glitter pop up in surprise spots. Soft lights glow in the night. Christmas trees shine.

Personalities also shine during this season, and its the cats personality that we spotlight most in these stories. They star in plots and dramas that go well beyond interacting with an indoor tree. Yes, sometimes the cat and the tree have a moment, but theres so much more. In this wide variety of stories, we meet kittens and catssome even appearing in Christmas morning packaging!whose personalities and bright presence take over and delight the Christmas experience, and life in general.

Youll read about Christmas miracles, both large and small. We see Christmas through the eyes of one of natures finest creaturescatsand how they view ribbons and dangling things and even manger scenes. We see those cats through the eyes of all kinds of humansincluding those who are not fans of the feline but who become fans at Christmas. (And isnt that the charm of the cat, to win over the unwinnable?)

We meet cats who seem to believe that decorations at Christmas are placed in the house for them and them alone! We meet kittens who keep a household young at heart no matter what is going on in the world. Cats who help other animals of their tribe navigate the holiday time. Cats who earn their keep by bringing gifts of hunting trophies to their astonished humans. A wise child who reminds her mother that barns with livestock always have cats, so of course there would be cats at the birth of the Christ child in a stable. And so much more.

My mother used to spout the adage, Curiosity killed the cat. But she never failed to add the lesser-known line, Satisfaction brought it back. These stories show cats in all their curiosity and in their satisfaction when it comes to the holidays.

It is my hope that meeting the cats and their humans in these stories will pull you straight into seasonal joy. As contributor Lisa Begin-Kruysman reminds us, Lifes most precious gifts dont always lie piled under a holiday tree waiting to be unwrapped. Some gifts wrap themselves around our hearts and remain there for a lifetime.

Indeed. Here is a book full of those kinds of gifts at Christmas.

And most of them come in the form of cats.