The Ultimate Feline Christmas Tree Test
In the world of TikTok trends, Christmas is often defined by cats launching themselves at towering festive trees set to a Mariah Carey soundtrack. This viral phenomenon left journalist Jane Hoskyn questioning her own festive setup. Her previous cat, the dearly departed Iggy, had shown complete indifference to her Christmas tree, despite his face featuring prominently on the decorations.
Perhaps Iggy simply wasn't a tree enthusiast, or maybe the trees themselves were lacking. After conducting an extensive test of ten different artificial Christmas trees, including a crucial assessment of their feline appeal, Hoskyn concluded the latter was true. The game-changer arrived in the form of Lumen, a tiny semi-feral rescue cat who helped fill the void left by Iggy.
Lumen's Paws-On Product Testing
Having spent much of her two years living outdoors, Lumen found an unexpected paradise when the living room was transformed into a forest of fake fir, pretend pine, and simulated spruce. Her involvement in the test proved genuinely insightful, moving beyond simple mischief to provide valuable consumer data.
Lumen demonstrated each tree's structural integrity by gleefully hanging from their lower branches, offering a real-world test of balance and durability. She conducted her own taste test, showing a particular fondness for the chewy texture of the Habitat mixed tip and the bristly Christmas Tree World pine, until gently discouraged. Her presence also highlighted potential hazards, making the tester more sensitive to the fake snow, plastic needles, and other debris shed by less durable models. Unsurprisingly, she also developed a great affection for the large cardboard boxes the trees arrived in.
Neighbourly Bewilderment and a Charitable Conclusion
The spectacle of multiple fully decorated Christmas trees glowing in October certainly raised eyebrows amongst the neighbours, who were already accustomed to an array of review samples arriving at the door. The festive forest, however, was a step too far. Thankfully, the experiment concluded before Strictly Come Dancing's Halloween special, and the daunting task of repacking the trees provided another valuable metric.
January is difficult enough without wrestling a bulky tree back into its box. The Habitat tree emerged as the repacking champion. In contrast, the snowy Dunelm tree seemed to have expanded to Stay Puft Marshmallow Man proportions, and the Christmas Tree World's pine was so large and heavy it required two people to carry it away. All tested trees were donated to Scratch, a Southampton hardship charity, highlighting a sustainable option for those upgrading their tree. Donating an old artificial tree can genuinely bring sparkle to someone's Christmas who might otherwise go without.
