How To Keep Your Cat Out Of The Christmas Tree

Keeping your cat out of the Christmas tree can be a challenge. Firstly, why do cats enjoy Christmas trees so much? There are a few reasons.

• Your cat has never seen a Christmas tree before and the lights, ornaments, or even the tree itself is a new curiosity.
• It’s a different tree than the one you had previously.
• Cat’s like to climb and hide, Christmas trees are perfect for this.

Here are a few creative ways to keep your cat out of the Christmas tree this season.

1. Pet Playpen

If you have an adult cat or a cat that can jump high this method won’t work for you. While it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing option it’s great for kittens that can’t jump that high quite yet.

Playpens come in a variety of sizes. The one pictured above is the top rated one on Amazon at the time of writing.

Pet Rex Foldable Metal Pet Exercise Playpen on Amazon @ $38.05

2. Apple Cider Vinegar Pine Cones

This is a method I’ve heard about from friends. Get some pine cones (if you have pine trees in your backyard great!) and spray them lightly with apple cider vinegar. Cats generally dislike the smell of apple cider vinegar. It’s also why they don’t tend to get into the natural gnat traps I occasionally have to put out.

3. Cat Proof the Tree Stand

No matter which tree type you go with, real or artificial, a tree skirt is a great idea to hide the stand or pot. You’ll also want to wrap the base with tin foil. You can also use sand bags or bags of cat litter to help weigh down your artificial tree base in case kitty makes a leaping jump for the tree.

4. Citrus Oil Spray

Making a spray of water and orange, lemongrass, or citronella oil has proven effective at deterring some cats. You can also sprinkle orange peels around the base of your tree just make sure to replace them every day or two so they don’t get moldy and start attracting insects.

5. Avoid Edible Ornaments

Not only are these often not meant for cats to eat they provide a tempting incentive for climbing the tree. Avoiding edible ornaments is one way to make the tree less appealing to your cat.

And some bonus tips:

• Avoid decorating with delicate, breakable, or sentimental ornaments until you know how you cat reacts to the tree. If your cat doesn’t seem interested in climbing but only batting at lower ornaments, place these up high and out of reach.
• Pine sap and oils can be harmful to cats. Make sure you cover the pot to avoid your cat drinking the water. You can also cover it with a piece of foil for added security.
• Avoid tinsel. Tinsel can cause gastrointestinal issues if ingested. This is also why you should avoid toys that use the shine of tinsel to attract cats. If you cat ingests tinsel do not try to remove it yourself. Call your veterinarian and seek emergency medical help.

Let us know if these tips were helpful in keeping your cat out of the Christmas tree this year in the comments.