How To Keep Your Cat Off Your Christmas Tree

I’ve been searching for an answer to this question an have found many. I will post them here.

First the cheap ideas.

SCENT

1. Orange & Lemon Peals: Some cats don’t like the smell and will avoid areas that have them. String them up around the base of your tree or any spot that the cat has access to. Just remember that they need to be replaced frequently as they dry out and lose their smell.

2. Pepper: Nasty stuff with the same idea as the peals. Just sprinkle is around like dust. But watch out, you may not like it either!

3. Dryer Sheets: Tie them into your tree so they can’t be easily removed by the cats.

4. Citrus House Hold Cleaners: Like the peals, it has that nasty fruit smell but can be sprayed on the tree instead of hung. It also needs to be replaced after a time. You can also soak some absorbent objects in these and hang them from the tree.

5. Peppermint Oil: Just spray it around the base of the tree.

(Note: do NOT spray your tree when it is plugged in, it is a fire hazard)

TASTE

6. Bitter Apple (or equivalent product): Spray it around the base of your tree. the idea is that it will make your tree smell, and more importantly, taste, bad. Note that some animals do not mind or even like the taste of Bitter Apple so it might not work for you. Also, this idea needs to be reapplied daily.

7. (My personal favorite) Tabasco Sauce: Very strong smelling. One person who used it by vet recommendation and one of her cats threw up when it came over to investigate her applying it. One cat (the one who retched) avoided the tree completely, and the other may have ran under it, but he never climbed it afterwards and didn’t like to stay under it either. He always emerged quickly with a look of utter repulsion. It is also longer lasting than any of the other ideas. Just spread it over the lower branches of your tree (Not sure how a real tree would take this). The smell of Tabasco Sauce will linger for an hour or two but then it will fade and only be an annoyance to the cats.

TOUCH

8. Aluminum Foil: Some cats may dislike walking on it. So wrap it around the base of your tree and out round the bottom like a tree skirt.

9. Upside Down Carpet Mat: The rubber ones that have spines on the underside for traction. Placed upside down a cat may dislike walking on it.

FENCING

10. Bird Netting (other fence like product): Place it around the underside of the branches to prevent the cats from getting into the tree. Watch out that your cat may just jump over this barrier from the side of the tree (not sure how to prevent that except for some ugly extensions)

11. Indoor Pet Pen: If you have one that isn’t climbable/jumpable and you don’t mind how ugly it is, you could fence your tree in. I don’t particularly indorse this idea.

TRAINING

12. The Ever Common Squirt Gun: Simple, and yet not. Just squirt your cat with water every time they get in the tree or try to eat it. The problem with this idea is that they may learn to only do this bad behaviors when you’re not around or watching. To aid in this issue you could add bells to the bottom of your tree, not to deter the cat, but to warn you they are on it. (Nightmares of bells chiming while you’re trying to sleep may ensue)

13. Compressed Air: Something as the squirt bottle, but with canned air.

There is all my cheap ideas, now for the more costly.

14. Scat Mat: an electric mat that sends a safe amount of electric into anything that steps on it. Typically used to keep your cat off the counter, there is now a tree skirt shaped one.

15. Motion Detection Sprays: When your cat walks too near this product it sends a spray of deterrent into kitties face. (not as evil as it sounds)

16. Motion Detection Sirens: When your cat walks too near this product it lets off a siren that your cat will not like and send them scurrying away.

That’s all I have. Hopefully they were a help. You may need to use more than one of these ideas, while others will be of no help for your cat. Feel free to experiment. Just remember that a good offense is a good defense. Have a sturdy tree stand or fake tree that isn’t liable to tip. Also, consider tying your tree to the ceiling and walls with guide wires if your cat tends to climb. Put sturdy plastic ornaments on the bottom of your tree while the more fragile or fun to play with stay near the top. Also, keep more ornaments near the top than near the bottom. Make sure to not use tinsel or slim ribbons on your tree and presents as they can be dangerous. They are all too tempting to eat, and once to the back of your cat’s throat, they cannot be hacked up but must be swallowed due to a cat’s anatomy.

Happy Holidays and Great Decorating!

WOW – what a great list of suggestions! I tried the oranges with cloves stuck in them on the lower branches. That kept Ozzie and Murphy out from under the tree, but Murphy still managed to reach above them to chew on the tree. So then I put out 3 motion detector spray cans around the bottom of the tree. Those are extremely effective at keeping the boys out from under, but again, Murphy was gaining higher access by sitting on an end table near the tree. Finally I placed a fourth spray on that end table, and that seems to have solved the problem. It is a shame really – I would love for the boys to just hang out under the tree. But as long as they keep on wanting to chew on it or the lights, that can’t happen. 🙁

Is it weird that I made a spot just for my cats under the tree? There’s a “clubhouse” made of presents surrounding an extra blanket under my tree.

My kitt luvs knocking off the shiny balls and attacking her reflection.

Thanks for the info & bumping this festive thread Thedude!

Buy the Christmas Tree Defender. It fits into a tree and blends in and keeps cats out of the trees.
http://www.christmastreedefender.com

It all depends upon your decorating style! 😉

Feline Holiday Reminder:

Help kits stay safe – healthy.

So, the scent orange plan didn’t work with our cats. Our mature cat had never been a problem with the tree (just couldn’t leave any ornaments on the lower branches, too tempting). It was our 8 month old bundle of energy and curiosity that had me worried about the tree. We set up the tree, I sprayed it all over with orange extract. Then I sprayed down the tree skirt with orange extract. Both cats were rolling in the tree skirt before it was even dry. The tree is much loved by the little guy, but he hasn’t knocked it over yet. No ornaments this year for us, and no packages under the tree. It’s a pre-lit tree, so at least we have some lights. 😐