The Christmas Tree Mystery

I dearly love to put up our Christmas tree.  I look forward to it all autumn. This year to go along with the new house, we bought a new tree.  I'd had the previous tree for quite a few years and it was going to look a little puny in the big ol' living room. 

I went with a pre-lit 7 footer.  Pre-lit!!  Whoo hoo!  Picked it up for $99 at Garden Ridge at 6 am on Black Friday.  Totally worth it. 

As beautiful as the tree is, as it larger than the last one that means we need more decorations.  I picked up a few new ones at Pier One...some feather angel wings and some feathery owls. 

And even as I bought them, something told me that perhaps these were not the best choices for our household. 

I have told you before that in addition to our two darling dogs, we have a princess cat.  She has always had an affinity for our Christmas tree as well.  When she was tiny, she climbed it.  When she was a little older, she took her cat naps among the packages on the tree skirt.  The kitty loves her tree.  She has been known to bat a low dangling ornament  off the tree and on to the floor.  Sometimes when I'm cleaning I will find a stray bauble in February that has been chased way under a piece of furniture.

This year hasn't been much different than any other.  Azalea makes her nap bed under the tree on the skirt. 
The living room is the playground of the two dogs and the cat (when she isn't napping.)

And now to the mystery...

The feathery ornaments keep finding their way off the tree and onto the carpet in different places.  I purposefully placed the ornaments a little higher on the tree with the cat in mind.  I thought I had them high enough on the tree so that none of the pets could get them.  And yet I have found them on the floor three times now. 

The suspects? 

Azalea, the princess cat who believes the tree and everything on it belongs to her.  Feathers drive her bonkers.  Boas, my slippers with feathers, my Mardi Gras masks--anything with feathers drive her crazy. 

DamnitBadger, the crazy dog who believes that everything and everyone is a toy.  The cat is one of his favorite toys.  He's never really bothered the tree before, but there's always a first time.

I hesitate to even include him, but Bear, the perfect dog is also a member of our family.  He hasn't wanted anything to do with our Christmas tree since he was a puppy.  And last night he was way too tired after our Jingle Bell Run to take an ornament from the Christmas tree. 

I couldn't tell you which little sweetie I think is taking the ornaments.  I think it may be a team effort...