Staying Festive and Feline-Free: How to Keep Cats Away From Christmas Trees

Christmas comes with lots of good tidings, gifts, and arrangements. There is so much to do, and dealing with a cat that wants to see your Christmas tree apart isn’t one of the things you want to deal with. A Christmas tree at home means more work for everybody, but the tasks do not have to be repeated only sometimes.

Finding a balance between Christmas trees and cats is an extreme sport, but it is very achievable. Felines love to hop, jump and play. They are also pretty curious in nature as they want to examine every new thing around them, but it gets intense if the examination subject is Christmas trees. 

Recommended reading: How Long Does It Take to Grow a Christmas Tree?

Cats and Christmas trees do not go well together in close range, so we figured out ways to keep your cats out of your Christmas trees for good.

Spray Repellent Scents

how to keep cats out of christmas tree

One of the most effective ways of keeping your cats away from christmas trees is by spraying scents that would repel them. Cats generally do not like particular scents, so they stay far away from perfumes or anything associated with it.

Citrus scents put cats off the most. Once you spray citrus scents on your christmas trees from time to time until it sticks, you can be sure that you wouldn’t find your cats stranded between the branches or anywhere around the tree itself.

Diluted apple cider vinegar can also help to contain cats and prevent them from charging at your christmas trees, thereby preserving your trees, the toys, props, and lights around them and ensuring your cats’ safety.

Aluminum Foil

A Christmas tree with aluminum foil

A Christmas tree with aluminium foil is a perfect pick for ensuring that cats do not come close to your Christmas tree. Cover the entire tree base in aluminium foil, including the tree trunk and the ground. Due to their aversion to the metallic crinkle and slick feel of foil, most cats will avoid coming near the tree.

Tree Type

A type of Christmas tree

When picking up a Christmas tree, it’s essential to keep a few factors in mind. To begin, fir trees or pine trees? Artificial ones or real ones? Big trees or small trees? All of these are questions to factor in when one has a pet.

The pine needles on the trees can cause nausea,  stomach and even external injuries in felines. If your cat likes to chew on things it shouldn’t, you might want to get an artificial tree.

If you think your cat could try to climb the tree and knock it over, it’s best to go with a smaller tree that won’t cause as much harm if it falls. A tiny desktop tree that can be closed off in another room when the kitties are out and about is perhaps the finest Christmas tree for households with cats.

Recommended reading: How to Change the Fuse in Your Christmas Lights in 5 Easy Steps

 Tree Positioning

Christmas lights

The success of your tree in warding off cats, will depend significantly on its placement. You should pick a location that only provides your cat with a few good vantage points from which to propel itself into the tree.

They will likely jump into the tree from any available surface, including windowsills and couches. Remove any potential obstacles between your tree and your cat by positioning it in an open area where there is easy access for them to charge at your tree.

Putting the tree on a stand in order to increase its height can be an effective positioning to ward cats away. They would rather not go through the stress when they see that getting to the tree would be so much work. At times, the cats like to climb from the base. Fixing a tree skirt at the end of the tree would prevent this. 

Road Block the Tree

how to keep cats out of christmas tree

The best way to prevent your cat or kitten from climbing the Christmas tree is to place barriers in its path. Take away any furniture that could serve as a springboard for your cat to use in order to ascend higher into the tree, such as chairs and tables.

To prevent your cat from climbing the tree, you can use an aerobic pen, fence, or baby gate to block its path. Cats hate pinecones very much and wouldn’t go close to anywhere they are placed. They will undoubtedly feel more annoyed and repelled if the pine cones are spared with citrus sprays or apple cider vinegar or rubbed with citronella oil. 

Some cat owners have found that crumpled plastic bags, lines of masking tape (double-sided sticky tape), and walls of gifts work well to keep their cats away from the Christmas tree.

Cats Hate Orange and Citrus

Christmas Tree

The scent of oranges isn’t appealing to a cat at all. It puts them off a lot. It is wise to use this antipathy for orange peels or citrus peels to save yourself from the stress of decorating and redecorating time and time. Burying the rinds under the tree or putting them in between the prunes

Another alternative is to fix the fruits at the base of the tree. Once you put big oranges around your tree and form a barricade with them, you can be sure that your felines will not go close to them. If they did once, after they perceived the fruits, there wouldn’t be the next time.

Project Cat Protection

how to keep cats out of christmas tree

Cats love to play with and bite on dangling cords because they think they’re toys.

A cat can cause severe injury or death to itself by chewing on electrical wires or getting caught up in stray cables.

Cover the exposed wires with duct tape and tape them to the wall with a cord protector so your cat can’t get to them on the way from the outlet to the tree. Wrap the tree’s lights securely around the trunk to make them less accessible. You should also turn off the lights or go to bed when you leave the house.

Recommended reading: Get Ready for Christmas: Learn How to Put Ribbon on Your Favorite Tree

More Tips On Protecting Your Tree

In addition to the tips mentioned above, here are a few more things you can do to protect your Christmas tree from curious cats:

Maintain Stability

We entirely understand your desire to keep your cat away from your tree. But you also need to plan for what will happen if your cat gets into your tree. An excellent approach to tackle this issue would be to ensure that your Christmas tree is almost immovable and fixed wherever it is placed.

Falling trees can ruin edible ornaments, hurt your cat, and damage the tree itself. The unique approach to keep everything intact and everyone safe is to keep it solid, upright and clear of any harm. 

Artificial Christmas Trees

Getting an artificial christmas tree is a better fit for you if all you want is the christmas sensation hovering around your house. Artificial trees do not need lots of attention like real trees. They cannot dry, change color, or die due to the weather or other circumstances. They come as green as Christmas itself.

Artificial trees are a good fit for cats as the trees don’t need water stored in their roots for them to grow, as stored water may breed germs that may affect your cat’s health. They don’t need trimming or pruning; they’re just there to simply beautify your home and give it the christmas aesthetic appeal.

FAQs on How to Keep Cats Away From Christmas Trees

Can Christmas Trees Poison Cats?

Fluids, nectar, tree water and oils from ordinary Christmas trees can be harmful to cats and put them at risk of poisoning, while their pine needles can cause digestive problems. However, your cat is unlikely to consume enough trees to become infected.

Do Cats Like Christmas Trees?

Yes, cats love to climb Christmas trees. All of the animals that belong to the cat family are natural climbers.

Are Artificial Christmas Trees Good for Cats?

Yes, they are. An artificial Christmas tree is a fake tree, which is safer for cats than real ones.

How do I stop my cat from messing with my Christmas tree?

Family, friends, and presents make Christmas. However, keeping cats away from the Christmas tree might be difficult. Here are some cat-proofing tips:

Christmas trees have sharp needles that can hurt your cat if they climb them. Cover the tree base with fabric or plastic to protect your cat. 

What scent keeps cats off the Christmas tree?

One way to keep cats off your Christmas tree is to use a scent they don’t like. Some scents may work include citrus, lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender. You can try diffusing essential oils in these scents around your tree or spraying a diluted mixture on the tree itself.

Bottomline

Christmas is just around the corner and it’s time to start decorating. And for all you cat owners out there, don’t worry, you can totally have a Christmas tree and a happy kitty too.

Christmas is all about celebrating with loved ones, and that includes our furry friends. But, to make sure everyone stays safe and sound, it’s important to choose a spot for your tree that is out of reach for both little ones and cats. That way, the tree can add some festive cheer to your home without any danger.

In short, owning cats and having a Christmas tree in your home can coexist peacefully, as long as you take the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe. So, go ahead and deck the halls, and make sure to include your feline friends in the celebration!

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