How to Keep a Cat Away From an Xmas Tree

To you, it's a Christmas tree, complete with carefully-placed decorations. To your cat, it's a sensory delight of sparkling ornaments, twinkling lights, and spreading branches, and it's begging to be explored, and even climbed on. According to the Cats International website, your cat feels both more secure and more dominant when up high. Add to that the almost irresistible lure of the dangling ornaments, and it is no surprise that cats are compelled to try to climb up Christmas trees, often with disastrous consequences. With some forethought and some simple techniques, however, you can keep your cat and your Christmas tree safely separated.

Things You'll Need

  • Peppermint oil
  • Dried orange peels
  • Indoor cat repellent
  • Bitter apple spray
  • Carpet runner
  • Tinfoil
  • Motion-activated sensor
  • Electrostatic mat, or "scat mat" (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use an artificial Christmas tree. Although there is still the possibility that it can cause damage if your cat ingests pieces of it, it is somewhat safer than a live tree. Pine needles, if swallowed, can perforate a cat's internal organs, and the water in the tree base can be toxic if your cat drinks it. In addition, the artificial tree may be less attractive to the cat.

    • 2

      Position the tree in the middle of the room, so it is not near furniture or shelves the cat can use as a launching pad to leap onto it.

    • 3

      Employ fragrances that are unappealing to your cat to keep it away from the tree. Spray the tree with peppermint oil, which many cats dislike, or place dried orange peels--also unpleasant to many cats--around the base of the tree. Commercial indoor cat repellent may also be effective.

    • 4

      Spray lower section of the tree with bitter apple spray. The unpleasant taste of this harmless product, as well as the bitter odor, will discourage many cats from nibbling at branches.

    • 5

      Place upside-down carpet runner or sheets of tinfoil around the tree. Many cats don't like the way these materials feel under their feet.

    • 6

      Use a motion-activated sensor, available at pet stores, to discourage your cat from climbing on the tree. The item lets off a high-pitched noise, as well as a harmless--but startling--puff of compressed air when approached. Avoid using whistles or water pistols to deter your cat when it attacks your tree. According to the Cats International website, these methods can be confusing and frightening to your cat, and lead to behavioral problems. Remote corrections--in which the cat's actions, not yours, create the negative consequences--are a better choice.

    • 7

      Use a "scat mat" at the base of the tree if all else fails. The mat emits a safe electrostatic pulse which will probably be enough to deter your cat. If you have used a mat in the past to keep your cat off furniture, just the sight of it may cause the cat to give it a wide berth.