Keeping Your Cat Away from Your Christmas Tree

The Cat and the Christmas Tree

What can you do to keep your cat from climbing, knocking over, or destroying your Christmas tree?

Cats are known for their curious nature.

They love to climb and survey their domain from a high vantage point.

Don’t forget their need to hunt and attack their prey.

So, is it any surprise that they view the Christmas tree, standing tall, covered with sparkly lights and shiny trinkets, as the perfect place to explore?

Christmas trees are often irresistible to a curious kitty. So, how can we keep them away from our Christmas trees and still have safe and happy cats?

Protecting the Tree

When it’s time to plunk that tree down in your living room, your kitty is going to be curious. There’s not a lot of cats who won’t want to know about this new “thing” in their space.

She may just have a sniff and carry on, or she may decide it’s a new territory to claim.

Younger cats, especially kittens, can be overwhelmed with an intense need to get to know the tree from every angle. You may find them scaling the trunk, climbing the branches, or jumping into the tree from the ground or the closest piece of furniture.

Older cats tend to be more relaxed or uninterested in Christmas trees. But be forewarned. Some cats never outgrow the need to conquer Mount Yule.

If you can, set the tree up in a room where you can close the door and keep your cat out when you’re not there to supervise.

Since that’s not always a viable option, you may have to get a little more creative. A pet fence or gate can be set up to protect the tree in your absence.

When we got our first kitten as a married couple, my hubby and I lived in an apartment. We didn’t have a lot of money but managed to get a super deal on a little artificial Christmas tree that year. Cue my excitement!

Well, you could also cue Timmin’s excitement. Now, THIS was interesting!

Every day I would come home to the lower branches of the tree bent to the floor and ornaments EVERYWHERE. I’d clean it up and at night, he’d start again while we slept.

Can’t say I blame him. It definitely looked like he was having a great time.

He was only a few months old, he was a HUGE cat, and he was very determined to climb a tree that could clearly not support him.

We finally found a large and tall cardboard box that we cut to fit so that the tree could stand in the corner and we could tuck the box around it when we were away or sleeping. Problem solved.

By the next year, his curiousity had waned and he never bothered that poor little tree again.

You can even get a cat tunnel that circles around the base of the tree, keeping your cat from getting to the trunk to climb it. That may work wonderfully for many cats.

It won’t, however, prevent the cat who likes to leap onto it’s favourite perches instead of climbing onto them.

Set up the tree where the cat can’t launch itself into the tree. It may need to be anchored to the wall or ceiling to make sure it’s stable and not going to come crashing down should Kitty get extra adventurous.

Leave it undecorated for a couple of days to give your cat a chance to check out the tree and, with any luck, completely lose interest.

If it’s a real tree, this will give it time for its branches to relax into its natural state. If it’s an artificial tree, you will have time to play with the branches and make them look “just so”.

But the important thing is, your cat will get accustomed to the tree, lose interest, and not destroy any of your favourite ornaments in the process.

Have a cat who likes to use the tree trunk as a scratching post? Try wrapping it with tin foil. It may even keep them from climbing the tree or they may just try to find another way to scale its height.

Some experts advise you to switch to an artificial tree because pine, fir, and spruce are mildly toxic to cats.

But artificial trees aren’t exactly a healthy snack for your cats either. I leave that one up to you.

We have real trees each year. We get a potted tree that we keep inside for about 10 days, place in the garage for the Winter, and plant in our yard in the Spring.

We also have a cat who takes little interest in our tree and never tries to chew on it. So, like I said, that’s your choice and may depend on your cat.

You can also get non-toxic citrus sprays to deter your cat from the tree. But don’t spray it directly on a real tree as it could damage and dry out the needles.

The Curiousity of Your Cat

Depending on your cat’s age and personality, your cat’s reaction to the Christmas tree may range from intense, over-the-top obsession, to a mild interest. It’s best to be prepared for any scenario.

Protecting Your Cat

Assuming that you’ve safely anchored your tree into place, and your cat has checked it out but has seemingly lost interest, it’s time for lights and decorations.

Now, this may renew your cat’s interest. Suddenly, string lights and shiny objects are catching their attention all over again.

If you have a cat who has shown a keen interest in your tree, this may not be the year to bring out those precious glass ornaments. Stick with plastic, fabric, wood, wool, and other non-breakable ornaments.

If you are going to put on breakable ornaments on your tree, keep them higher up on the tree and out of your kitty’s reach.

In general, ornaments and lights dangling off the bottom of your tree are targets for cats. So, keep them tucked up into the branches of the tree where they’ll be less of a temptation.

Use cord protectors or run the cords under rugs to keep them out of kitty’s reach.

Replace the metal hooks with twine, cord, or ribbons. The metal wire hooks can damage your cat’s mouth and throat if they try to chew on it. They can even swallow the wire, causing damage in their stomach and intestines.

As for tinsel, if you’re a fan, I encourage you to let it go, at least until you know you can rely on your cat to leave the tree alone. Cats seem to love chewing on it and, though a lot of us can tell tales of it passing through their system (AHEM, sparkly poop in the litter box), it can also bind and damage their digestive system.

There’s nothing like a trip to the emergency vet over the holidays to prove that point.

Hard to Resist

While your cat may never grow out of its fascination with the Christmas tree, they can live in harmony with a little thought and preparation on your part to protect the tree and your cat

The Art of Distraction

Trying to punish or scare away your cat is not fair to your cat who is not trying to misbehave. Your cat is acting out of instinct, not malice. Also, punishment is, frankly, ineffective.

It can even damage your relationship with your cat as your efforts to correct their behaviour will often be misunderstood.

Chasing or startling kitty will be interpreted as aggression and your cat could become frightened or stressed without any understanding of why.

Instead, when your cat starts to focus on your tree, redirect their attention. Try using a favourite toy or treat to pull them into a more positive activity.

You can provide them with a new climbing tower or re-position a current one to direct their attention away from the tree. Just be careful not to place it close to the tree itself or it could be used as a launch pad.

If you really want to distract your cat, try a tree of their own. Place it in a different area of the same room. A small tabletop tree, decorated with cat toys is an adorable distraction for your pampered kitty.

Remember, a bored cat can be a troublesome cat. If you’re looking for ideas to keep your cat entertained, feel free to read my post, Boredom Busters for Pets.

Living in Harmony

Your cat and your Christmas tree can exist in the same space. With these tips, you can keep your cat from destroying your tree or harming themselves.

Final Thoughts

By using these tips, you, your kitty, and your Christmas tree can all co-exist in peace and harmony.

Your cat is just following its instincts when it decides to make enemies with your new house guest(the tree). But that doesn’t mean that this needs to turn into an all-out war.

You just need to find ways to cat-proof your tree, redirect your cat’s attention, and turn a challenge into a chance to have even more fun with your sweet little friend.

With a little creativity, a little patience, and a lot of love, you can have a happy feline and a beautiful tree to boot.