Keeping Your Cat Out of the Christmas Tree

As a cat owner, I know how curious they can be, especially around Christmas when the tree first goes up. It's something new and generally outdoor-smelling, and they just can't seem to stay away from batting at the ornaments, chewing on the branches, or even climbing up in it! But even so, there are things you can do to prevent and deter your cat from causing mayhem when it comes to your beloved Christmas tree.

When I first set up the tree, I make sure it's fastened securely in its stand (this will help to better ensure it won't be knocked over so easy) and then wrap the bottom of the trunk with aluminum foil. This prevents most cats from climbing up inside the tree, because in order to do so they'd have to dig their claws through the foil, and most cats hate the feeling. In fact, most cats dislike foil in general, so if you don't mind it interfering with the decor, you can also try spreading out some foil on the floor underneath the tree as well.

Next, I spray all over the tree and underneath it with a citrus-smelling air freshener. This doesn't cause any harm to the tree, and citrus is a scent that cats usually hate. On the plus side, it keeps the room smelling fresh and citrus-like, which is great if you have an artificial tree with no smell of its own.

When decorating the tree, I fasten ornaments near the bottom securely to the branch to make it harder for the cat to knock it off in the instance that she might decide to go up and bat at ornaments. As an extra precaution, I put up all of the most breakable and glass ornaments nearer to the top. Just in case the cat still decides to run up to the tree and bat at ornaments, there will be no more worries of knocking down something that can break easily.

I always keep a water bottle on hand, to spray the cat with if she still decides to go after the tree. Whenever she gets near it, I give her a spray or two while telling her "no" in a firm voice. This usually makes her run the other direction, and after awhile she is wary of going near the tree at all because she knows she'll get wet. Though this doesn't work as a long-term solution for all cats, for most it's great even in the moment of getting them away from the tree.

Finally, when leaving the house or sleeping at night, try to keep your cats (along with their food, water and litter box) in a room separate from the tree if you can. That way you won't have to worry about them tearing up the tree while you're not there to see or stop them at it.

The above methods have been very effective for me, and I'm sure they will also be very helpful for most others and their kitties when it comes to deterring them from the Christmas tree.