Christmas is right around the corner! There are many reasons to get excited about this holiday. Some love to decorate, especially when it comes to the christmas tree itself.
But, if you have a cat, you probably know what’s coming after you spend hours and hours setting it all up to look just like you want it to:
If you are here, you probably want to avoid another Christmas spent worrying about your cat’s obsession with the Christmas tree. Cats love new, shiny toys, so a beautiful Christmas tree is undoubtedly the best indirect gift ever for them.
This Christmas will be different, you will be able to relax and your feline friend won’t even be interested in touching the tree (hopefully) after you try some of these cat-proofing tricks!
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First Steps
It’s always better to prevent than to cure. Because of that, here are a few tips to kick things off with a solid, cat-proof foundation:
1. Choose the Right Tree
- Real Tree: Spruces and Pine trees can look amazing in your living room. However, real trees are not very safe for cats. For instance, pine needles can be a choking and injury hazard for cats who like to chew branches or any random items. There’s also a greater risk of being crushed if the tree is not secured or in some way, it comes down, as they are significantly heavier than their artificial counterparts.
- Artificial Tree: The safest bet for a household with one or several cats is to place an artificial tree instead. Being lighter, there’s little risk for your cat being crushed if it falls. There’s also less risk of injuries or choking hazards. You’ll of course have to consider other safety measures for the tree and your cat that we’ll expose below.
Tree Size and Stability
If you want to play it safe, keep it small. Stability is crucial for a cat-proof Christmas tree, and smaller trees are often more stable.
You can also consider slightly bigger trees with a strong support or foundation. The stand is even more important than the entire tree, as it will maintain your majestic tree standing. There’s no tree with no stand!
Other Safe Tree Alternatives
If the previously mentioned options don’t convince you, you can go for more “unconventional” trees. For example, made of a string of lights, attached to a cat wall or cat trees with a unique, Christmas tree aesthetic.
2. Strategic Tree Placement
- Ideally, you should place the tree away from furniture that your feline household member can use to jump onto the tree to start the mayhem.
- Avoid high-traffic areas where the tree might get bumped by your cat. If the place you chose is a regular Zoomies zone, look for another nook!
3. Securing the Tree
Keeping the tree in its place can be done by roping the tree trunk and securing it to the wall or anchoring it to the ceiling. This is important to avoid any accidents, and if you don’t want to spend another afternoon putting the Christmas tree together.
You can add some extra protection to the base by using a tree skirt.
Decorate Wisely
4. Ornaments
When it comes to decorations, fragile ornaments such as those made from glass should be avoided as they can be dangerous to cats. Also, stay away from edible ornaments, as your cat could be inclined to have a nib.
Apart from the crumb mess that will probably ensue, eating these ornaments can cause gastrointestinal issues for your cat. As edible ornaments often contain a lot of sugar and other, non-safe ingredients for cats.
Consider getting shatterproof ornaments to reduce injury risk, and keep any fragile ornaments that can’t be missing high on the tree, far from your cat’s reach.
5. Cat-proof Lights
My cats have an obsession with cables and wires. This is fairly common, so if you have this problem too you may be wondering what to do about the lights. You will have to secure them to the tree and hide the wires the best way you can. To do this, you can tape the wires down and/or use cord covers.
LED lights are best in terms of security. You can opt for them to avoid dangerous overheating.
6. Avoid Using Tinsel
You could already be doing this, as tinsel is not as popular as it used to be. For those of us who didn’t like it very much, avoiding it in our Christmas tree decoration will be easy! But, why avoid it as a cat-proofing measure? Tinsel can be tempting for your cat to play with, and if they end up playing with a piece of thin strip it can prove to be a choking hazard, and provoke further gastrointestinal issues if ingested.
Cat Deterrents and Training
7. Tin Foil
Tin foil; A.K.A cat kryptonite, is your closest ally when it comes to defending the Christmas tree’s perimeter. Placing it on the ground around the tree will be an instant deterrent for your curious cat. Yes, it’s not pretty, but it’s functional. If you won’t usually be home for long hours, consider placing it before you leave.
8. Deterrent Sprays
Another straightforward countermeasure is to get a cat deterrent spray. You can purchase these products or craft a homemade deterrent with some ingredients you usually have lying around the kitchen.
Cats are easily repelled by strong, citric smells like lemon. Other allies you can add to the mix that is safe for cats are Vinagre and Mint.
9. Barriers
Anything that separates the tree from your cat can work as a barrier. You can return to baby gates or playpens. You can also place the Christmas tree inside a cage.
However, these solutions won’t be aesthetic. To make it all look as seamless as possible, try using decorative fencing at least around the base. If there are no gaps between branches where your cat can jump through, covering the base is good enough.
10. Training and Redirection
If you have taught some ticks to your cat in the past, this won’t be hard; some positive reinforcement can make your cat understand that rewards are waiting if they stay away from the tree.
Training usually takes time. If you are looking for more immediate solutions, provide your cat with alternative, more enticing attractions such as a new, shiny cat tree or an interactive toy.
Providing Alternatives for Your Cat
11. Cat-Friendly Decorations
Like giving an unplugged joystick to a child to make them believe they are playing video games, you can set up a smaller, cat-safe tree for your cat to play and do whatever they want.
Some great additions to this special tree are catnip ornaments. You can also spread catnip powder over their own Christmas cat tree to make them want to be nowhere else.
To ensure this tree is cat-safe, follow our previously mentioned decorating tips.
12. Engaging Activities
When we talked about redirection, we mentioned it could be a Christmas tree saver. For that reason, you should ensure that your cat has plenty of entertainment options that can look as or more enticing than the Christmas tree.
Those playtime sessions can be kickstarted by some engaged playtime on your end, with interactive toys, new scratching posts, and whatever you can to do keep your cat occupied during peak holiday activity times.
Monitoring and Supervision
You know just setting everything up won’t be it. Cats are like toddlers and need constant supervision on some matters. Their stubborn nature could drive them towards the tree again in no time. To avoid further issues, follow these tips:
13. Regular Checks
Unsure if your cat is ignoring the tree yet? conduct regular inspections on the tree and decorations. You should be looking for signs of tampering or damage.
14. Supervised Playtime
Keeping them far from the tree is impossible? We suggest you engage in some supervised playtime with your furry friend, let them discharge batteries, and then relax for a little while. Cats should only be allowed near the tree when they can be supervised.
15. Adjusting as Needed
Monitoring your cat’s behavior and response to any barriers between them and the Christmas jungle will allow you to make any modifications to the setup. As each cat behaves differently, this is important to adapt to your own particular case.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, cat-proofing your Christmas tree is doable! From the tree you pick to the ornaments you hang from it, each step of the Christmas tree assembly process can be considered and be made more cat-proof.
Take and apply at least a few of these recommendations to safely enjoy the upcoming holiday season accompanied by your now harmonized, feline family member.
What strategies do you usually implement to keep your kitty away from the Christmas tree? Let other cat parents know how to take care of home and their cats.
Here’s a quick, funny summary from a Pinterest user of some additional + previously mentioned ideas anyone can apply:
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