Trying to keep my cat of the Christmas tree
+12
We have a new cat. He's about 13 or 14 weeks old and very energetic and curious. He thinks the Christmas tree is one big toy store and jungle gym. Anybody know any creative ways to keep him off the tree.
Cats don't like citrus...try sprinkling orange peels around it or use a citrus spray.
How about a motion activated Santa or two that will start playing a loud song when the cat gets close to the tree? This is probably a good time to start training the young cat to a crate. Merry Catmas! 😇
He is a baby and you just have to keep after him with a stern NO! Anchor tree to the wall and if you can not block the room off while you are at work or go out, I would skip using any breakable ornaments. I have 6 cats that I rescued 2 years ago. They learned right quick just by the tone of my voice. Now they just bat at an ornament or two and move my fake presents around so they can nap under the tree.
My grandson and his girlfriend put a small, inexpensive monitor around the tree and whenever the cat got near it, it sounded....it was so funny to watch that cat jump - but, it learned to stay away from it!
I usually don't do anything, but I do use fabric or plastic ornaments on the lower part of the tree just in case the cat gets curious. I worry more about the dogs. We have to move furniture for the tree, so we put the loveseat on one side to block, the end table stays where it was and the coffee table goes in front. There is still room for them to get through, but it is enough deterrent that they stay away when they are playing. Perhaps one of those wide free standing pet gates would work until your kitty gets the idea it is not a play area.
After one of our cats bit through the wire for the lights on the tree (she required surgery on her tongue for the burns) we weren't sure what to do. Then a friend who has many cats suggested bells. So I hung different size bells on the bottom of the tree (as many as you can) from ribbons. It's been twenty years and I haven't had a cat climb into our tree since the bells were added to the decorations. They are inexpensive and can be reused every year. Hope this helps!
Cats do what they want regardless of your efforts. Just video the cat climbing the tree and put it on YouTube. Who knows, you might get a viral hit out of it.
Hi Kelly,
Cat's absolutely do not like aluminum foil. You can use it around the bottom of your tree as a skirt and I can guarantee you that your little kitty (big 🐈 too) will not be trying to climb the tree or get to those ornaments. BTW, dogs don't like it either 😀
Let me know if you decide to try it and how it works out. I have a new couch and trained my cat and dog with aluminum foil sheets. Good luck!!
My kittens both climb inside and poked their noses out. We sprayed water to tell them no. After a year of fighting with them I gave up. They just love to lay inside and poke their noses out. Actually it was kind of cute!
My very first Christmas tree as a young adult, fresh out of college, was adorned with white ribbon. I also had my first pet, an orange tabby cat about four months old. He thought the ribbon was his to play with, and I came home to a toppled tree and white ribbon all over my apartment. Since then, I never used ribbon again, and kept tempting ornaments out of reach. I never had any trouble again. Dumb luck?
Love this conversation! I never had trouble with any of the cats I've had over the years; I had a couple who would sleep under the tree and bat at the lowest hanging ornaments so I made sure those were unbreakable. But...I now have 2 who get into everything. They get onto everything! Lawyer's bookcase? No problem. 8' entertainment center. Easy peasy! So, for the second year in a row, I've forgone Christmas trees and quite a lot of other holiday decorating. I don't really miss it; I do like my cats.
We had an 8 wk old one that loved playing in the tree... we put large sleigh bells on the inside hung from ornament hooks and he couldn't resist... we laughed so hard all that Christmas.
He had one of the cheap little stockings that he drug all over and it was really funny seeing him asleep under the tree like a toy...
LET HIM PLAY...put the unbreakable stuff on the bottom and the glass balls away (or you will be finding them under the couch and the bed..broken)... and ENJOY the show... next year he probably won't be interested.
2 command hooks or screws in the wall on each side of the tree, then just tie fishing line on one screw around the tree as tightly as possidle and tie to other screw. Totally cat proof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htvCx0FG9Ww