How to Keep Your Cat Away From Your Christmas Tree
It’s that time of year again…when the Christmas tree goes up it’s time to figure out how to keep your cat away from it.
There are a number of steps you can take to deter your cat to keep them safe and keep your tree intact.
#1: Use Citrus. Cats do not like citrus scents, so an effective way to keep them away from the tree is to spray it with cat-safe citrus spray.
If you do not want to purchase a spray, you can even just peel some oranges and place the peels throughout the branches of the tree.
#2: Aluminum Foil: Aluminum foil is another option for deterring your cat. You can wrap some foil around the base of the tree and lay it on the ground around the tree.
#3: Keep Electric Cords Contained. Dangling cords and lights are a hazard for curious cats who see them as a fun dangly toy.
Try to push strings of lights deep enough into the tree that they aren’t easy for your cat to play with. Cover any electrical cords on the ground with tape to prevent chewing.
#4: Secure the Tree. Despite your best efforts to deter your cat, they may wind up by the tree and it’s important to prevent them from pulling the whole thing down.
Use a heavy tree base that will prevent the tree from getting knocked over. You can even attach the tree stand to a heavy piece of plywood to keep it stable.
Tip: if your tree base has water in it, make sure it is covered so that your cat doesn't drink from it and get sick.
#5: Decorate Strategically. Avoid decorating the lower half of your tree with dangly ornaments that look like fun new toys to your cat.
Any ornaments that are within your cat’s reach should be shatter-proof and large enough that they aren’t a choking hazard.
#6: Keep Your Cat Occupied. One way to keep your cat away from the tree is to keep them occupied with lots of toys, cat trees, and scratchers of their own.
Check out the best toys for cats here. You can also take a look at these ways to keep indoor cats happy for more ideas.
#7: Give Them Some Cat Grass. If you have a fresh Christmas tree it’s important to note that the oil, sap, and resin from evergreens are poisonous to cats.
Ingesting pine needles is also hazardous as it can cause blockages in their digestive systems.
To keep your cat from munching on the Christmas tree, try giving them another option like cat grass. Find out here how much cat grass your cat should eat.
Ultimately, keeping your cat away from your Christmas tree may prove to be a challenge.
A great option is to opt for a fake tree and use cat-safe ornaments in the event that your cat gets ahold of them.
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