Cat Won't Destroy Christmas Tree Because Of Tangerine 'Force Field'

He REALLY doesn't like tangerines ...

Ever since his mom brought him home, Victor has been an incredibly outgoing cat, and not much fazes him. He follows his mom everywhere she goes and instantly loves every stranger he meets, but despite his confidence, he does have one big — and very strange — fear. 

When he was just a kitten, Victor’s mom discovered that the one thing he hates the most is tangerines. 

cat afraid of tangerines
Irene Olocco

“We were together on the couch, I grabbed a tangerine and, as I began to peel it, he hissed and ran away,” Irene Olocco, Victor’s mom, told The Dodo.

Olocco soon learned that all similar orange fruits were Victor’s vice, and he absolutely wouldn’t go near them. Since Victor has always been a little stubborn, especially when it comes to “house rules,” his mom decided to use this new kryptonite to her advantage. 

cat afraid of tangerines
Irene Olocco

“I began to put oranges or tangerines on the furniture where I didn't want him to climb on and it worked,” Olocco said. 

One of the house rules that Victor has always loved to ignore is “don’t destroy the Christmas tree.” Every year, he steals Christmas balls off the tree and destroys various ornaments and other decorations, and his mom could never come up with a way to keep him away from it — until she had the best idea. 

cat afraid of tangerines
Irene Olocco

“I was sick of yelling at him to not touch the balls,” Olocco said. “In the middle of the morning I decided to eat a tangerine and the brilliant idea struck … It worked immediately!”

Olocco created a force field of tangerines around the tree, and sure enough, Victor wouldn’t go past them. As much as he loves tormenting Christmas trees, he hates tangerines even more. 

cat afraid of tangerines
Irene Olocco

Now, Olocco’s tree is safe thanks to Victor’s very strange fear, and it seems that surrounding the tree with tangerines will become a new yearly tradition.

You can follow Victor and all of his adventures on his Instagram account