Mischievous Cats Making Themselves At Home In Nativity Scenes

People have fallen in love with photos online of cheeky kitties in the manger.

Stephanie

• Published in Animals
• January 4, 2022

We all love Christmas, and what's better than a beautiful nativity scene? The answer is a nativity scene filled with cats - or a "cativity," if you will.

People have fallen in love with photos online of mischievous kitties making themselves at home in the manger. Of course, let's be honest; most of these cats are just looking for a comfy spot to nap.

But who's to say there wasn't a cat in the barn when Christ was born? Legend has it there was a cat curled up to baby Jesus in the manger.

The story goes that Mary traced an 'M' on the cat's forehead. Supposedly this is the reason all tabby cats have an 'M' marking on them today.

Furthermore, did you know that cats have their own Patron Saint, St. Gertrude? Cats are also worshiped in some cultures, so it's quite fitting that they like to involve themselves in such holy activities.

It's ironic that cats are renowned for destroying Christmas trees but are relatively well-behaved in the nativity. But hey, cats are unpredictable, and that's just one of the reasons we love them, right?

Well, if you - like us - love seeing cheeky felines in the manger, we have a treat for you below. A series of cats making themselves right at home in "cativity" scenes.

A colony of feral cats in Red Hook, Brooklyn, has been involved in a nativity scene for many years. During the year, the cats live in a shelter.

Residents in the area don't mind because they say the cats keep any pests under control. "Red Hook residents say the cats keep rats away, and the feral felines have grown fat over the years from their frequent feedings," wrote Laura Moss.

Photographer, Brook Goldman, spotted an interesting scene while walking in New York one night.

It was a nativity scene, and right where Jesus was meant to be, there was a rather grumpy-looking cat. "I was laughing my ass off," Goldman said.

"I guess you can definitely say he brought me joy while I was walking home," she said. "It was mood-lifting, most definitely."

"Look at who the baby Jesus is!"

Who needs a baby Jesus when you have a cat willing to do the job?

Pips the cat enjoys napping in the nativity scene at All Saints Church in the UK.

"There's a new 'Messiah' in Ilkeston, England, and she's been known to jump on top of coffins, bravely tiptoe across church organ pipes, and occasionally yowl during weddings and baptisms," wrote PEOPLE. Rev. Kate Bottley says that Pips decided to take the place of baby Jesus.

Pips has become a valued member of the church.

"If Pips were to have a Christmas message, I believe it would be along the lines of, 'As there was no room in the inn for baby Jesus, then sadly at the moment, there is no room in the vast majority of cat and dog rescue homes either," Rev. Bottley says. Pips has since gone viral after Kate tweeted a photo of her with the hashtag #JoyToTheWorld.

Meanwhile, Budge the cat decided to take over the Norwich Cathedral nativity.

Budge has a home of his own, but he decided the church was a great place to hang out a few years ago. "Once we found him asleep in the crib in our Nativity scene, which was meant for the baby Jesus – but there was straw in there, and it was warm," said Rev. Jane Hedges.

"We expect he'll do that again," says Hedges. "Budge seems to bring people a lot of pleasure, and he is a very positive presence," she added.

In Torrington, WY, the South Goshen Community Church purposely included a tabby cat in their nativity.

The fact that the cats are so out of proportion to the figurines is the best part.

So, this is Christmas.

The Twitter-verse is filled with "cativity" scenes from all over the world.

And people sharing their own cats' scenes.

Who knew this was a thing?

So, there you have it. If you were looking for your daily dose of both Christmas and cats - you're welcome!

Does your cat enjoy hanging out in the manger at Christmas? We would love to see your pics - feel free to share them in the comment section!

Stephanie