5 Tips to Cat-Proof Your Christmas Tree

The holidays are a magical time of year. From gatherings with friends and family to seasonal decorations, there’s a lot to love about the holidays. Your cat might even enjoy the festivities as much as you do!

Yet for certain cats, the holidays can be a stressful break from routine, filled with visitors and unfamiliar additions to the home environment. Take the Christmas tree, for example. Meant to be an expression of holiday cheer, covered with lights and adornments, the Christmas tree’s sudden appearance can be confusing, tempting, and even risky for our feline friends.

Let’s explore why some cats can’t contain their excitement around the Christmas tree and how to keep it (and your cat) safe this holiday season.

Why Cats Love Christmas Trees

Cats are intelligent animals and curiosity is in their nature. The unexpected arrival of something as significant in size as the Christmas tree is bound to trigger temptation. But it’s more than just the novelty that draws cats to the Christmas tree.

Here are some of the reasons cats love Christmas trees.

Cats Are Eager to Explore

As predators, cats are naturally territorial and eager to investigate anything new that comes around. Not only is the Christmas tree something new and unfamiliar but it’s filled with exciting outdoor scents and enticing textures. Even if you go the artificial route, the tree will carry scents your cat will want to explore.

Climbing Opportunities

Cats have strong legs and sharp claws for a reason—they’re built for climbing. To a cat, the Christmas tree looks like the perfect place to survey their territory from on high. The temptation may be particularly hard to resist if your cat doesn’t have appropriate alternatives like a cat tree or cat condo.

Ornaments Resemble Toys

Christmas ornaments are perfect batting opportunities for a mischievous cat who lacks indoor play opportunities. Tinsel, garland, and other ribbon-like adornments may also be hard for a curious cat to resist.

Sparkly trinkets and hanging decorations look like fun new toys to your cat but they can be dangerous. Ribbons and tinsel come with a risk of breakage and accidental ingestion, which could cause your cat harm.

Scratching Surface

Scratching is a natural behavior for cats and a necessary one. It helps them shed the brittle outer layers of their claws, exposing the healthy new growth beneath. With its rough bark, the Christmas tree may offer a satisfying scratching surface for your cat.

There’s also the height of the tree to consider. Small scratch pads don’t allow your cat to fully stretch their limbs as they scratch, but a tall Christmas tree might.

Hiding Place

Composed of layered boughs and needles, the Christmas tree offers cats a nice place to hide. Some cats may enjoy the security of curling up at the base, while others might climb up into the branches, seeking a higher hiding spot. Once the tree is decorated, of course, the act of climbing in and out of the tree puts your cat at risk for injury.

How to Keep Your Cat Out of the Christmas Tree

With its dangling globes of fragile glass and tangled strings of twinkling lights, the Christmas tree presents certain risks to your cat. Taking steps to keep your cat out of the Christmas tree is essential for their own protection—not to mention safeguarding the centerpiece of your holiday decor scheme.

Cat-proofing your Christmas tree helps ensure you get to spend the holiday at home, not in the vet’s office. Here are five ways to do it.

Choose the Right Location

The perfect spot displays your Christmas tree in all its festive glory, but the location that looks best might not be the safest option for your cat. Place your Christmas tree away from shelves or cat furniture that might give your cat easy access to the higher boughs.

And don’t forget to secure it properly. Choose a sturdy base and consider anchoring your tree to the wall or ceiling, just in case your cat decides to go for a climb.

Select Cat-Friendly Adornments

Choose unbreakable ornaments and place them high enough on the tree that your cat can’t bat them off from the ground. Shiny, reflective ornaments will likely pose the greatest temptation. Soft fabric ornaments may be best, just in case they fall or hang low enough for your cat to reach.

If you decorate the tree with tinsel or garland, limit it to the upper half of the tree. Not only do these decorations pose a choking hazard if swallowed, but if your cat catches hold of one end they could topple the tree over on themselves.

Avoid Exposed Wiring

Unaware of the risk of electrocution, some cats can’t resist chewing on exposed wires. Choose your Christmas tree lighting carefully, avoiding thin wires that might be easy to chew through. When placing the lights, keep them toward the center of the tree and use a cord protector to cover the end of the string that plugs into the wall.

Keep the Base Covered

Make sure your Christmas tree base is sturdy and secure. If you’re using a live Christmas tree, cover the base to prevent your cat from drinking the water. A tree skirt may do the trick but determined cats may require additional deterrents. Try wrapping the trunk in foil and place presents or heavy decorations on top of the skirt to weigh it down.

It’s particularly important to cover the base if you’re using a potted Christmas tree. The soil could contain fertilizers that might make your cat sick, not to mention the temptation of the soil-filled pot as a litter box alternative.

Offer Enticing Alternatives

Your cat may be less interested in the Christmas tree if there are more enticing alternatives available. Set up a dedicated play area away from the tree and encourage your cat to use it with toys and treats.

Even better, surprise your cat with an early Christmas present of a new cat condo, timing its arrival to coincide with the Christmas tree. Just be sure to place cat furniture far enough away from the Christmas tree that your cat can’t use it to jump onto the tree.

By decorating with care and taking certain precautions, you can keep both your cat and your Christmas tree safe this holiday season. Even if you do, however, be vigilant and check the tree daily to make sure there’s nothing to tempt a curious cat into a potentially dangerous situation.