Tips on Keeping Your Cat Off the Christmas Tree

It is bound to happen, it is simply a part of animal instinct, and at this point, holiday tradition. More than likely you have your Christmas Tree up and decorated. You probably slaved lovingly over your beautiful tree, dragging the heavy thing up from the basement, or spending great care and time looking for the perfect one at the local Christmas Tree Farm.

You probably took longer than expected setting it up because you had to figure out which light strand plugged into which light strand, and it is almost inevitable that a bulb or two needed to be replaced. Then you painstakingly coiled garland around the Christmas tree, round and round, bunching it and moving it so it sat just perfect on the pine branches. And then, the entire family joined in as together you added ornament after ornament, completely covering your Christmas tree in beautiful glass balls and cute little character ornaments. You leaned over to plug it in and there was a chorus of "Ahhs", as the family saw the tree lit for the first time and children's faces lit up at the beauty of your Family Christmas Tree.

You probably stood back to admire your work. Simply beautiful. It probably completely put you in the holiday spirit and you might have even been compelled to snap a photo or two.

And later, you lovingly prepared dinner for your family, and as you all sat together, eating the wonderful home cooked meal, you shared stories of Christmas' past and were just plain happy being together.... until you heard the sound.....

...that familiar sound - "plink, plink, plink". It is the sound that almost any home that is complete with a family cat or two is accustomed to at Christmas time. The sound of soft padded cat paw, hitting fragile glass ornaments.

It's natural really. In fact, a Christmas Tree is like sensory overload to a cats natural instincts and curiosity. All the shimmery lights, dangling shiny objects and a tree of their very own in which they can climb anytime they feel like it.
Yes, having a cat, AND a Christmas Tree is not always the beautiful picture one imagines.

However, there is hope for you and your feline friend and especially the Christmas Tree.

There are a few things you can do to help keep the cat out of the Christmas tree, or to at least minimize the damage that can be done by a soft cat paw and a cat's insatiable appetite for curiosity.

The Squirt Bottle: Let me introduce you to the squirt bottle. Ours is a small one we picked up at the dollar store, as we looked for the perfect gift to give our cat for Christmas. A child clutched it in their chubby hands all the way home from the store. And when we got home, it was lovingly filled with water, and very gently placed in a neutral location to sit and await the inevitable "plink, plink" sound.

The moment we hear the "plink plink" of anything, indicating that one of our two cats has again found themselves entangled in the branches of our Christmas tree, one of our seven family members rushes to the aid of the Christmas Tree and all of it's precious decorations. A squirt or two usually does the trick, and the cat loses interest for awhile while she is too busy grooming herself, because no cat really enjoys wet fur, unless that wet fur happened because they did it to themselves.

Sneeze Much? Try citrus: Avoid using pepper, or cayenne or anything else having to do with pepper, because although cats do not like the pepper, it can get in their eyes and cause serious health problems. If you love your cat, you don't want to torture it. Try citrus instead. You can either get a citrus spray, or use citrus peels. Place in a bowl nearby the tree, or directly under it. We tried putting a bowl under the tree and surrounding it with Christmas gifts. The cat did stay away from the tree for a couple of days, but eventually went back. So you need to replace the citrus peels every so often to keep the smell powerful and fresh. The cat did not enjoy the bowl of citrus rinds at all.

Tin Foil vs. Double Sided Tape: It has been said that putting a layer of tin foil at the bottom of the tree usually keeps a cat away. Apparently most cats do not like walking on tin foil, and to be honest, tin foil doesn't look half bad under the tree, it's shiny and glimmery and reflects the lights. However, not all cats are discouraged by tin foil. Many will simply walk right over it. But I haven't met a cat yet who likes tape. They do not like to be stuck to anything. Purchase the widest roll of double sided tape you can find, and place it around the Christmas tree. I recommend putting it on your tree skirt, not touching anything that could be pulled off of the tree skirt when you remove the tape after Christmas. The outer edges of the tree skirt work well. The only drawback is that you must be aware of where that tape is at all times or a gift or two will be set on the tape and paper is usually torn as you lift it up. However, our cats do not like the double sided tape and will avoid it at all costs.

Commercial Sprays and Products: Bitter apple has been an option in the past for keeping cats out of undesirable locations. The Christmas Tree is one of those less than desirable places. Spraying the Christmas tree every couple of days is a great way to keep cats off the tree. Make sure that lights are unplugged and left off until the spray has a chance to completely dry, otherwise there will be a much bigger problem that keeping your cat off the Christmas Tree. Our cats don't seem to mind the bitter apple though, and from the research I have done, there seems to be many other cats who don't mind it either. So now what? There are other commercial sprays available at the pet store and online, but often they are just as ineffective, so I found Ssscat! Although a bit pricey at $50 it is worth every penny and can be reused over and over, with the simple purchase of a refill can for $15.00 and will last a long time, especially after the cat has determined that where you put it, they shouldn't be. It's a fast, and effective method, the refill can holds over 500 sprays. It works by using two different elements: a motion detector and an aerosol can. As your cat approaches the area you do not want them near, an audible alarm will sound, immediately followed by a spray of harmless gas. After this has happened a few times, the cat usually gets away from the sound as fast as they can, keeping them away from the Christmas tree. Place it directly below your Christmas tree and you will be sure to keep the cat away.

When all else fails, resign yourself to knowing that it is in a cat's natural instinct to enjoy the Christmas Tree in a different way than you and your family. Placing the ornaments higher up on the tree can help alleviate some of the stress, but decorating with non breakable items is the best option. Just know your cat is not destroying the Christmas Tree on purpose, but because it's their natural curiosity that leads them to explore the fun glittery lights and dangling objects.