Cats — especially young ones — usually can’t resist Christmas trees!
After all, an indoor tree provides the best of both worlds for your cat.
It fulfills their natural inclination to climb, and they don’t have to worry about the weather or potential predators outside.
It can be challenging to keep your cat out of the tree this holiday season, but it can be done!
It might seem strange but try to hold off on decorating the tree when you first put it up.
This will give you a chance to try to convince the cat not to mess with it!
Put some water in a spray bottle and when the cat approaches the tree, give them a little spritz to dissuade any further investigation.
While you’re decorating the tree, consider keeping the cat in another room- this will save you a lot of time and frustration!
Finally, instead of glass ornaments, use plastic ones if possible.
A glass ornament can easily shatter, potentially causing severe damage to a cat, so if you’re using delicate ornaments, put them higher up the tree.
There are a couple of other things you can try too in order to cat proof your Christmas tree!
Some cats hate citronella oil so you can spray the bottom of the tree with a diluted mixture of oil (just adding a few drops into a spray bottle will do the trick), and that might help keep your cat away.
You could also consider spreading some aluminum foil on the floor near the tree, since most cats don’t like the sensation of foil on their paws!
You’ll also want to be sure to pick up Christmas tree needles every day.
You don’t want to take the chance your cat might eat one and suffer an upset stomach as a result.
Other Dangerous Holiday Hazards: Electrical Cords, And Choking Hazards
- Tinsel — It doesn’t matter whether you put tinsel on an artificial tree or a natural tree — it’s beautiful. Unfortunately, that makes it very enticing to your cat — and if your kitty ingests any tinsel, it can lead to a potentially severe intestinal blockage. So, either opt to go without tinsel this year, or put it up high where your cat can’t get to it.
- Lights — Try to avoid putting lights at the bottom of your tree if possible. Cats can get tangled in Christmas lights, or get shocked if they try to bite through electrical cords.
- Edible decorations — Have you ever adorned your tree with strands of popcorn or edible ornaments? It makes for a fun decoration, but edible decorations can pose a choking risk for your cat.
