Keeping cats away from a Christmas tree is no easy task. Moggies are independent, territorial, and not to mention nosey!
The twinkling of those shiny Christmas tree lights coupled with the movement of tree branches, pine cones, bell ornaments and other decorations can prove an overload on their senses. Before you know it, your beloved, perfectly decorated Christmas tree has toppled in a matter of seconds!
Thankfully, there are some ingenious ways to protect your artificial Christmas tree from feline destruction.
Read on to find out our top hints and tips to keep your cat from potentially ruining Christmas morning!
Why do cats love Christmas trees?
There are many reasons cats love artificial Christmas trees so much - a little too much, perhaps.
For starters, a tree is something new and exciting being brought into their home, and as curious creatures, cats will want to investigate.
Then there are the Christmas tree branches cats love to climb. Not only is it in their instincts to do so, but it also allows them to survey their territory and get extra height away from other pets - and humans!
Above all else, cats seem to enjoy the allure of tinsel, lights and Christmas baubles. These things can be tempting for your cat to play with; think of Christmas trees as great big cat toys that require immediate cat-proofing!
5 ways to keep cats away from your artificial Christmas tree
While it might not be easy, protecting your Christmas tree from the wrath of your cat's inquisitive murder mittens is possible!
There are 5 main tried and tested methods that you can implement to save your tree. Try to incorporate a few techniques for the best results - your cat should lose interest fairly quickly.
1. Citrus scents and sprays
The first thing to try is to use a scent that cats don't generally like as a deterrent. A range of smells are safe for cats but will keep them away, including citrus-based scents. You've probably encountered this yourself when cooking or cleaning your house, and your cat runs away before glaring at you in a rather unimpressed manner!
If your Christmas tree and the area around it smells unappealing, the chances are your feline will want nothing to do with it.
The most common scents include citrus spray or a few drops of citronella oil mixed with water. Cats also don't like apple cider vinegar, so this is a handy and cheap alternative.
For extra protection, you might want to coat pine cones in your chosen scent and place them both in and around the tree. Keep reapplying the scent around the tree at least twice a week to maintain the potency.
They won't like you for it, but it will work. And, best of all, it's 100% safe for cats.
2. Think about where you place the tree
Strategic planning of where you place your tree can directly influence a crafty cat's chances of getting its little fluffy paws on it.
A bushy Christmas tree that's easy to jump on from a window ledge, a sofa, or a bookshelf, will likely be climbed by a cat, so ensure there are no appropriate launching points nearby for your cat to take advantage. A tree can easily topple if a cat can fling itself on top of your Christmas centrepiece, even with a solid base.
Try to place your tree in an area that is hard to get to. While this might not necessarily stop a cat from trying to climb or toy with your Christmas decorations, it will go a long way to making them sick of trying.
3. Citrus rinds
If you don't want to spend on sprays to deter your cat, using citrus rinds may be the answer you've been searching for. Things such as orange peels and lemon rinds not only make your home smell beautiful (and quite festive, too), cats loathe anything with a citrus kick, so it's a win-win.
These can be placed in or around the Christmas tree or anywhere else you don't want your tiny terror to roam, such as the base of the tree stand.
4. Keep electrical cords hidden
One bite through an electrical wire and a cat can easily receive a very nasty shock.
That's why you must do all you can to hide these wires to keep your cat away from them. You should tuck all wires away as best as possible, paying particular attention to the lower level of the tree.
For best results, attempt to use electricals that don't have an overly long wire attached, as these can be more difficult to minimise. You could opt for an unlit Christmas tree and either leave the lights off or use battery-powered strings of LEDs to wrap around the branches carefully.
5. Aluminium foil
There's not much cats hate more than the sound, feel and touch of aluminium foil. While we don't suggest you deck your tree in a mountain of foil ornaments, a little can go a long way in stopping your cats from surrounding your tree.
Simply place it at the base of the tree, and it is often enough to turn the tree into something cats will avoid at all costs.
How to decorate a cat-proof Christmas tree
How you decide on decorating your realistic Christmas tree can directly influence how much your kitty wants to check it out.
Here are some pointers to make your tree a bit less appealing to your cat:
- Place tinsel and ornaments in areas of your tree where it is harder for your cat to reach, ideally at the top where they will have greater difficulty reaching.
- Christmas lights work best when placed in the tree's centre. Placing the lights around the centre will make it harder to get at and won’t be as tempting to your cat as if they were dangling curiously over the branches. Airflow in your home can make these electricals move slightly, and cats love things that move, so secure all twinkly things tightly!
- Do you find that your cat is attempting to play or chew with electrical wiring? You should seriously consider whether it would be better to remove the lights altogether to prevent your cat from potentially badly injuring itself or worse.
- Metal hooks that often come with baubles and other festive ornaments can be dangerous to your cat. Try tying these to your tree using ribbons. It also means that they won't fall off your tree as easily.
- In an ideal world, it's best not to put tinsel on your tree or anywhere else in your home when you have a Cat. Cats often love to chew tinsel - for reasons unknown, the texture is rather appealing to them - but this can and has proved to be fatal if a cat bites and swallows tinsel or it gets stuck in the cat's mouth. And as a responsible cat owner, it is your responsibility to ensure your cat is as safe as possible.
- Don't use fake snow - it can contain dangerous chemicals, hazardous to your cat. If you’re looking for a winter wonderland finish, consider a snowy Christmas tree instead.
Other things to consider
It’s essential to have as solid a foundation for your Christmas tree as possible, just in case your cat does manage to climb it. Ensure that your tree is placed on level flooring and you have securely fitted the Christmas tree to the base or the Christmas tree skirt. This will make it much less likely that your tree will fall over.
If your cat doesn't have a scratch post, now is a good time to purchase one. Cat posts provide a range of uses. But during the festive period, cat scratching posts are a great solution to avert your cat's attention and potential frustration of being unable to access their big, new bristly toy and provide them hours of controlled terror.
Have a magical Christmas with Christmas Tree World
Our devilish little house panthers can cause a lot of damage at Christmas - from breaking expensive and sentimental holiday decorations to pulling down the tree completely and injuring themselves. All you need for Christmas is a costly vet bill and a new tree!
While at first it might seem impossible to keep your mini masters of mayhem away from your beautiful Christmas tree, there are some brilliant and original methods to stop them from reigning chaos in your home come the festive season.Ensure your Christmas is a showstopper with our unbeatable twinkling lights, magical Christmas decorations and baubles. Why not check out our stock of artificial Christmas trees, including pre-lit Christmas trees and stunning slim Christmas trees.