Cats and Christmas Trees

Cats attacking Christmas trees during the holiday season is a big problem! Learn how to keep your tree safe from pets until Santa arrives.

With Christmas around the corner, many households have set up the much beloved Christmas tree. However, keeping it up and fully decorated can sometimes be difficult when there is a feline involved. This is because some cats think of your tree simply as a new scratching post, or something new to climb on! And those shiny objects are so much fun to play with!

To save yourself heartache over broken ornaments, here are some pointers on how to cat-proof your Christmas tree.

• Real or artificial tree? Live, or “real” trees can pose a bigger threat to cats, since the needles are sharper and can puncture the skin and sometimes the insides of your animal. In the instance that you do select a live tree, your pet should not be able to drink from the water. In some instances, this water can actually be poisonous to your cat, or even dog.
• Choose a stable base for holding the tree. If you should have a curious cat or kitten climb into the tree, you are going to make sure it won’t waver and tip over.
• Consider not decorating the tree right away. You can use that time to train your cat to not climb the tree. To do that, simply fill a spray bottle with water and watch for any signs your animal is about to take a climb. If your pet looks ready to spring, or does, simply spritz some water on its back and say “no.” After some training, hopefully your feline friend won’t be inclined to investigate the top of the tree.
• Another trick to use is before decorating, mist your tree with a mix of a small amount of Citronella oil and water. This makes it smell unpleasant to your cat, and they are more likely to stay away.

Use these tips to ensure that both your pet and your tree have a good holiday season.

What measures do you take to keep your tree safe from your pets? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.

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