Cats love to play with sparkling ornaments and tinsel — here’s a guide to save your Christmas tree from your cat this holiday season.
Have you noticed your curious cat eyeing the Christmas tree from across the room? Cats are intrigued by ornaments and lights because they love shiny objects. Plus, the actual tree itself looks like the purrfect holiday decoration to scale, especially when your attention is scarce due to the seasonal rush. After spending hours decorating your tree, you don’t want your cat to destroy your hard work or get tangled in the tinsel. Here are 11 ways to cat-proof your tree this holiday season and ensure peace on earth (or at least your living room).
There are steps you can take to protect your kitty and tree. By following these tips, you and your cat can both enjoy your festive decor.
The first order of business is secure the base of the tree so your cat can’t knock it over. Here’s how:
For extra support, set up your tree in a corner — wrapping fishing line around the base — and attach it with a wire to the wall. You can also attach eye hooks to the wall to keep the tree upright. That way, if your cat attempts to knock it over it will stay upright.
Cats have a fascination with shiny baubles and Christmas light strands. That’s why we recommend hanging your decorations where your cat can’t reach them. Consider hanging delicate or breakable ornaments above your cat’s eye level so they can’t see them. Avoid using those lower branches. The higher up the ornaments, the less likely your cat will reach and break them.
Make sure your ornaments and ribbons are extra secure on your Christmas tree. While some people use metal hooks to secure ornaments on the tree, we recommend ties. Hooks can be potentially dangerous to cats if they scratch at the tree with their paws.
While we know tinsel and other decorations look pretty, it’s best to avoid them if you have a cat. Curious kitties like tinsel because it’s sparkly. But, if your cat ingests it, it can cause vomiting or intestinal blockage.
👉 If you have mistletoe, hang it near the ceiling to keep your cat’s paws away. Mistletoe is toxic to cats. (Trusted Source)
To keep your cat away from your Christmas tree, consider wrapping the trunk in foil and spraying it with a citrus spray. Cats dislike the feel of foil and the smell of citrus, so these deterrents could keep them at a distance from your tree.
Our veterinarian also recommends using a PetSafe Pawz Away barrier to keep your cat away from the tree. When your pet enters the restricted zone, the transmitter sends a signal to your best cat collar/s. The safe static correction lets your cat know that they can’t go in that room.
Your feline friends might try to drink from the water bowl at the base of your tree. If you place a tree skirt over the water, it can help prevent your cat from drinking it. You can also consider putting a small fence around the base of your tree, or buy a Christmas tree stand with a covered base.
👉 Keep your cat’s water bottle or drinking fountain full of clean water at all times so they aren’t tempted to drink your Christmas tree’s water.
When you’re not home you should unplug your Christmas tree’s lights because cats like to chew electrical cords. (Trusted Source) Use tubing or duct tape to cover cords so your cat won’t hurt themselves.
🚨 Chewing electrical cords can cause electrocution or choking.
Cats love presents, too. Don’t put your presents under the tree before Christmas. While that may not be very festive, your cat is likely to scratch at wrapping paper or bows. To prevent a mess (and wrapping presents again), keep them hidden until Christmas.
If you buy your cat a play tree for themselves, it will distract them from getting into trouble with your tree. There are plenty of trees your cat can climb and scratch at which will entertain them just as much as your Christmas tree. There are even holiday-themed cat trees if you want to share the festive mood with your cat!
If you can, close off the room in your house where you keep your Christmas tree. That way, you can avoid altercations between your cat and the Christmas tree.
If you have a real tree, you should clean up the fallen needles every day. If your cat tries to eat a tree’s needles it can be dangerous.
🚨 While it’s unlikely that your cat will eat enough pine needles to poison them, the prickly bristles can puncture a cat’s gastrointestinal tract.
You might be wondering if real or artificial trees are better for cats.Both have their pros and cons, but real trees can pose slightly more risk. With a fake tree, you won’t have to worry about your cat drinking water or eating fallen pine cones or needles. However, they can still knock plastic needles loose and try to eat them, which wouldn’t be good for their digestive system.
All of the common types of live Christmas trees, such as firs and spruces, are mildly toxic to cats. They can experience vomiting, diarrhea, and mouth irritation if they eat the needles, but cats usually do not ingest enough to cause a severe reaction. However, eating tree needles—real or artificial—can damage your cat’s digestive tract and become a choking hazard.
Pine sap is a more palpable hazard and fertilizer is even more dangerous. Preventing your cat from gnawing on the branches or drinking the water from the tree are the most important things you can do to keep them safe if you opt for a live tree.
It’s normal for cats to be curious and want to explore. Around the holidays, it’s especially important to keep cats away from decorations. We also want to help you keep your pretty ornaments and trees intact. Cat-proof Christmas trees are key to a smooth festive season with your pet. We hope these tips help you and your cat survive the holiday season!
While there’s no best Christmas tree for cats, the size of the tree can make a difference. You may want to consider a small tree vs. a tall tree. You can sit a tabletop tree on furniture, making it hard for your cat to reach.
Tree needles are only mildly poisonous to cats, but tree fertilizer and pine sap are more dangerous. Cats ingest sap by chewing on a tree’s needles or branches, making it extra crucial for your tree to be cat-proof. Never add things like aspirin to your Christmas tree water. In the case that your cat drinks this water, it can be extremely toxic. If you think your cat has eaten or ingested something poisonous, call the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center (Trusted Source) immediately at 1-888-426-4435.
