Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

THE FAMILY ROOM – For many families, Christmas begins the moment the tree is put up and ends when it's taken down. This rite of passage is so essential to the holiday that kids usually pester their parents for weeks, asking, "When can we put up the tree?"

Unfortunately, there's an insidious force in some homes that is simultaneously asking, "When can I take down that tree?"

I'm talking, of course, about cats. These razor-clawed killing machines love to stalk Christmas trees. You might think they're simply attracted to the lights and decorations, but their interest goes deeper than that.

Your cat is actually doing a structural analysis of the tree, looking for weaknesses that can be exploited.

Check out this video to see the results:

My favorite part of the video is how after the tree is toppled, the family's other two cats hurry over to survey the scene. They aren't simply congratulating their friend on a job well done; I think they're also gathering data. What angle did the cat take to ensure an effective toppling? What was the best body position to avoid injury as the tree landed?

With so many cats collaborating so effectively, it's a miracle that any of our trees ever stay up for the holidays.