Novice Cat Owner With Questions

I've been lucky and never had a cat bother a Christmas tree. BUT - just in case I used to tie it to a door knob or something secure. One can never be too careful with kittens around LOL
No tinsel.....none at all.
And I always kept lights and ornaments up high enough so the cat/kitten couldn't reach them from the floor.
Kinda makes for an odd looking tree but safety first

the only problem we have ever had is that our cats like to play with the glass ball ornaments. even if we put them up high, they try to get to them. they have never tried to climb the tree, but will use a nearby window sill or anything else to boost them up close to the ornaments. 

Definitely have the most stable tree base you can and try not to place too many ornaments very low and accessible.
 
It's luck of the draw really.  We always had cats growing up and always had trees with little issue.  Except for the tinsel -definitely no tinsel.  They will eat it and that makes for a big mess.
 
It seems like my cats have mostly been interested in smelling the tree - just sniffing it - those are real trees of course.  But we did have a tree which was not all that stable come down a few years ago breaking nearly every glass ornament I had.  At first we thought for sure it was our cats - probably Benito because he was about 16 pounds at the time.  But after righting it and sweeping up, our very old lab girl with poor eyesight knocked it right over again - she also was wanting to smell it (her sharpest remaining sense) and sort of blundered underneath it bumping up the low branches with her back. And down it came. I'm pretty sure she did it the first time, too!

My kitty who is now at the bridge, Bear, climbed the tree and layed on the branches. I had no problems with the ornaments, besides the dogs knocking them off.

Here is how we have semi-solved the tree problem.  Right now we have 4 kitties, two adults, two 8 month old kittens.  The tree is artificial with NO TINSEL.  Then we have taken the larger presents/gift bags and put them in a circle around the outside but still underneath the outer branches to deter the little scamps from easily getting underneath the branches and up the tree.  This seems to do the trick.  They gave up after a couple of days.  We did not even have to use the dreaded water spray bottle.  LOL 

I have two cats (Bengals) who think there dogs they get into everything including the Christmas tree.  So we just kitty proofed it as much as possible.  The tree is anchored in two places to the ceiling, the Christmas presents don't go under the tree until the night before Christmas otherwise they would be opened []   There is no keeping these cats from not climbing the tree not even water they adore water (they join me in the shower all the time[8D])  No tensil as already said also no ornaments made of glass or breakable just in case they decide there tasty plus less cleaning up.  If there is an special ornament we value above all it either stays in the box or we put it up somewhere they can't get too.  Umm oh yea if the kittys are anything like my two do not I repeat do not put mistletoe up or else someone will wake up at 2 in the morning hearing things falling because the cats climbed up on the refrigerator and are jumping off trying to get the mistletoe lol.  Another I've know other people to mange this successfully I haven't been able to, but suggest buying special ornaments just for the cats put those close to the floor then leave a space and then put human type ornaments up. I think thats all I can think of for now.  If I remember something when I pt up our tree next week I'll be sure to post it.  

Well, we made it through our first week of the xmas tree up and only one small insident. We had a bid snow storm here on friday and Chevelle(our kitten-seen in picture under covers) was playing with the tree. She wasn't harming it (just kinda sniffing it) but i had the water bottle ready just in case i look away and then look back(maybe 2 minutes) and I see her tangle in the tree light cord hanging upside down playing with the cord and the part of the tree she must have gotten it down from. All i kept saying was thank god for the snow storm and that i was home to get her un tangled from the tree or who knows what we would have come home too! she hasn't really played with that part of the tree since. she will bat at the tree limbs and then get mad because it doesn't seem to go away, it just keeps coming back to the spot where it was......Gotta love her though......

What gorgeous kitties!!! Are these two Mama and baby?  Cats are wonderful creatures in my book.  I had a cat that looked real similar to these two one time.  Brings back fond memories.  Merry Christmas and you may want to lock the kitties in another room while you are gone until the tree is down.  They are usually mischevious little buggers.

This isn't scientific (I don't think at least) but I just wanted you to know just in case that the female cats that I've met and taken care of that looked like this (is it called tortie???) anyway, they've all been very unfriendly.  I'm just saying this so you'll be aware if things start to change as they age. 

The female tortie I had did change as she grew into an adult.  She was fine with me and my daughter but not very friendly with strangers.  She would just disappear when others came over, not anything overtly aggresive. 

both of these calicos are lovers!! the oldest is 13yrs old and the second you sit down shes in your lap wanting to be petted. the other one is from a different mom (our oldest has never been a mom) and she is a lover to my husband, me, our dog and our oldest kitty but she could careless about anyone else that walks in the house, well i should say she won't cuddle with a stranger but she will be in the same room and watch them. My parents also have a calico and she loves to be loved. So thats weird that you say that about aggression and this color combo......

Honestly, I'm not an expert on cats but I think you've got two torties there, not calicos.  But, maybe someone else will know for sure.
 
I'm not saying all torties can be funny about people but I know a few that are and also you'll notice someone else above posted the same thing.  I'm only saying it so you'll be aware and not surprised if the kittens personality happens to change. 

Could you buy something at the petstore that keeps cats away - maybe some Bitter Apple?

Ive got a calico and she is as sweet as they come, not at all agressive. She is very wary with strangers though. My stepdad has only seen her once. When theyre are strangers in the house she will not come out but once they are gone she is in your lap wanting to cuddle.
 
As for the Christmas tree, I didnt even want to put it up because I thought Toddler+Cat+Tree= Horrible Idea!
 
But I couldnt resist, and put it up anyway. The balls are plastic instead of glass. The first day my son took down all the ornaments within his reach and put them in the basket of his little car [8D]
 
And for about a week after it was up Ceci would swat at the balls, knock them down and play with them. I was too lazy to get up and correct her, but one day she just stopped. I think its been about a week since the last time she did this.