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The holiday season is a fun and exciting time of year. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, the tree is probably your most eye-catching decoration. As festive as it is to have a beautiful tree in the house, it can be a nightmare for cat owners. Between the dangling ornaments and shining lights, a Christmas tree looks like an irresistible toy to our feline friends. So, does this mean there’s no hope for your tree with a cat in the house? Luckily, the answer is no. We found several tips and tricks to keep Fluffy safe and out of trouble this time of year. Alright, now here is how to cat-proof your Christmas tree.
10 Tips to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree
1. Use Deterrent Sprays
Like the name sounds, cat deterrent sprays are designed to make something smell unpleasant to cats. Luckily, there are many of these sprays on the market. If you are more of the crafty type, you can also search for DIY recipes online. Citrus sprays in particular are common because cats have a natural aversion to citrus odors. All you have to do is spray the surface you want to protect. So after you set up your Christmas tree, whether real or fake, spray the product all over the tree.
A single coating of deterrent spray might be enough for your cat to stop being interested in the tree altogether. But other cats might try to play with it again once the scent wears off. The only way to know how your cat will respond is to wait and see. If you have a stubborn cat, you may need to reapply the spray every week or two, or as needed. But no matter what, just remember to NEVER spray the product directly on the cat. In fact, it’s actually best if your cat is out of the room when you use the spray.
2. Use Citrus Fruit
When it comes to a cat’s hatred towards citrus smells, sprays aren’t the only option. You can also use citrus fruit itself! Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist, recommends taking the peels of citrus fruit and closing them in a Ziploc bag. Any citrus fruit will do, like oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruits. Then, you can poke holes in the bag and keep it at the base of the tree. Even if you already used a spray, it’s not a bad idea to also do this trick for extra protection. Just remember to switch out the peels every so often that way the bag maintains a citrus smell.
Another option is to make DIY dried citrus fruit ornaments. These ornaments are fairly popular because they make an easy, inexpensive, and fun project. Oranges seem to be the most common choice, but lemons, limes, and grapefruits can also be used. You can find plenty of blog posts explaining the instructions. But basically, it involves cutting the fruit into thin slices and baking the pieces low and slow. When it’s all done, you’ll have beautiful ornaments that also act as cat repellents. Talk about the best of both worlds!
3. Defend the Base
The branches aren’t the only part of the tree that needs to be cat-proofed. We can’t forget about the base! Many cats will be tempted to scratch the base, thinking it’s a scratching post. To prevent this, you can try taping aluminum foil around the base. Preventative Vet explains that cats hate the crinkling sound of foil, and it also feels unpleasant to them. Another strategy is to scatter pine cones under the tree. Now, what good does that do, you may ask? This steers cats away because our feline friends hate the feeling of walking on prickly pine cones. Cats also dislike the annoying obstacle that scattered pine cones create.
As an extra safety precaution, you can apply a citrus spray or apple cider vinegar on the pine cones. If you can’t get a hold of pine cones, you could always scatter garden stones at the bottom of your tree instead. Although stones aren’t prickly, cats don’t like feeling unstable when they walk. Finally, you can buy a potted plant protector designed specifically for Christmas trees. This type of product serves as a barricade to prevent your cat from climbing the tree.
4. Move Launching Zones
Although this may be a challenge, it’s important to keep launching zones away from your tree. Launching zones are anything that your cat can use to pounce off of. So, if there are any cat towers, chairs, or other pieces of furniture that your cat uses, it’s best to move them away this time of year. Doing so will prevent your furry friend from being able to pounce on the tree from one of these spots. If possible, it’s also a good idea to keep your tree in a corner, which makes leaping on it all the more difficult for a cat.
While it’s no fun to move things around, it’s certainly better than waking up in the middle of the night to a crashing tree. Not only will things break, but your cat could get seriously hurt. That’s why it’s best to prevent such a catastrophe from happening in the first place. Yes, pun intended.
5. Place Ornaments Strategically
I have yet to meet a cat that doesn’t love dangling objects. It’s just what cats find mesmerizing! Anything that dangles looks like an exciting toy to a cat. I think you know where I’m going with this. Ornaments and cats don’t mix together very well. But, there is a way around this. Yes, really. The key is to place your ornaments strategically around the tree. Place all dangling ornaments on the top half of your tree. And no, I’m not suggesting that you put nothing on the bottom half. That would look pretty weird (unless that’s the look you’re going for).
But really, save the bottom half of your tree for tie ornaments. You know, ones that don’t hang freely, but tie closely to the branch itself. But if you don’t have any tie ornaments, apply the same principle: keep the most cat-tempting ornaments away from the bottom. And no matter what, make sure every ornament is properly secured to each branch with wire or twine. This way, the ornament at least stands a chance if Fluffy sneaks a few swings.
6. Protect Wires
While string lights bring a festive glow to a tree, they are probably the most dangerous decoration for cats. Contrary to popular belief, cats like chewing on wires just as much as dogs. And we all know that an electric wire is simultaneously a shocking, strangulation, and fire hazard all in one. But the good news is that it’s fairly easy to protect your furry friend from this hazard.
A simple solution is to put cable management sleeves or tubing around the exposed wires. This safety measure is easy and affordable. As an added bonus, cable sleeves also keep cords neatly out of the way, which prevents them from getting tangled and messy. If some wires are still exposed, you can treat them with a bitter apple spray.
7. Be Cautious With Plants
Some people like to decorate their trees with festive flowers. As charming as this looks, some plants are hazardous to cats, including holiday plants like poinsettia, holly, and mistletoe. Luckily, the ASPCA has a Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List for cats on their website, which we’ll have linked in the description. If you have your heart set on adding flowers to your tree, check this list first to make sure it’s not toxic for your feline friend. The safest bet is to keep these toxic plants out of the house altogether. But if you absolutely must have a plant that’s not cat-approved, make sure it’s impossible for them to reach.
Speaking of plants, another tip is to be cautious with real trees, because ingested pine needles can cause an upset stomach. They can even obstruct the bowels or puncture intestines. Even artificial tree needles can potentially cause a blockage. That’s why it’s important to regularly sweep up fallen needles, whether real or fake.
8. Hide the Candy Canes
Some households keep Candy Canes on the tree. With their hook shapes, what better place to put them, right? Well, the reality is that not just candy canes, but ALL candy (including chocolate) should be kept far away from cats. A lot of candy, including candy canes, contains xylitol. This is an artificial sweetener that is especially toxic to cats and other animals. According to Bond Vet, xylitol can cause an upset stomach, liver damage, seizures, and even death in cats.
Also, Vet Help Direct says that candy canes are among the treats that contain more sugar than cats can metabolize. High amounts of sugar raise insulin levels, which can lead to diabetes. Too much sugar can also lead to obesity and dental disease. Candy wrappers are also dangerous. The ingestion of a wrapper or stick can cause a life-threatening obstruction in the bowels. Some signs include vomiting, decreased appetite, inability to defecate, or lethargy. So, sorry Fluffy, but no sweets for you.
9. Ditch the Tinsel
Tinsel is a decoration that’s made up of shiny or metallic strands. It comes in a variety of colors, including silver, gold, red, and green. But this festive decoration is considered to be extremely dangerous to pets, especially cats, because they tend to be the most attracted to it. Between the shimmering look and dangly strands, many cats see tinsel as the toy of toys.
So, why is tinsel so dangerous? If a cat swallows anything stringy, like tinsel, it can get stuck in their intestinal tract. Many times, this causes vomiting and loss of appetite. PetMD explains that most of the time, surgery is required to remove the foreign object. While doing so, the vet may also have to repair any damage done by the tinsel, which can be quite severe. Needless to say, it’s best to avoid this nightmare altogether by ditching the tinsel and anything else that’s stringy! In fact, it’s also best to not keep presents under the tree, because ribbons are dangerous for the same reason.
10. Secure the Tree
Last but not least, it’s important to secure the tree. Even if you do every other cat-proofing trick on this list, there’s always an extra stubborn Fluffy out there. That’s why you may want to consider securing it to a wall with wire. Or you can secure the tree to the wall or ceiling using a heavy nylon line or rope, as Preventative Vet suggests. Either way, just make sure it’s secure from the middle to the top. But what about the bottom, you may ask? Well, the best preventative measure for the bottom is getting a tree stand that has a wide and steady base. If you have a real tree, the stand you pick should also block off access to the water. If your cat drinks tree water, any preservatives, fertilizers, or sap can make your cat very sick.
Final Thoughts
Depending on how curious and mischievous your cat is, you may have to implement one or all of these tips and tricks. Just be patient and remember that your cat isn’t going after the tree to be a jerk. They are just trying to play with what they see as a giant toy. But once you learn what works for your cat and what doesn’t, worrying about the Christmas tree will be a thing of the past.
Resources
https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/
https://www.countryliving.com/
https://www.preventivevet.com/
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
