Christmas is one of the best times of year. We get to put up the Christmas decorations and feel all fuzzy with the warmth of the holidays in front of us.
Unfortunately for cat owners, this also means that your furry friend now has a place to climb and play, which they would normally do outside! This can be quite annoying and time-consuming, especially if your tree took you a while to put up and decorate.
If you know your adorable feline friend is going to climb your Christmas tree in the holiday season, here are some things you can try to stop them from climbing up and ruining your masterpiece.
What’s The Deal With Cats And Christmas Trees?
Many cat owners will be wondering why their cat keeps climbing up the Christmas tree every year it goes up. You may have friends who have cats, and they know it’s going to happen, and they’re simply waiting for that time they hear a crash in their living room!
The short answer is, cats are still cats. Their evolution and primitive nature means they are already predisposed to climbing trees. If you put them outside, this is something they will do.
They do this as a form of play, to get their claws in a manageable size and length and because sometimes – their favorite treats live in trees! (We’re looking at you birds and mice!).
Christmas trees are no exception to this kitty cat play time rule. Much like boxes, if they see a tree – they just gotta climb it! Even though this can be frustrating, it’s important that you do not discipline your cat for this.
Cats will be cats and telling them off for being their wild self is going to psychologically upset them, so instead – here’s what you can do!
Repelling Your Kitty From The Area
A lot of cat owners have problems keeping their kitties away from certain things in the house. After all, they’re nature’s perfectly designed animals – which means they can climb a tree with no issue at all, or up the walls of the house to get to it!
Cat owners who also like to have houseplants will understand the struggle all too much. Some houseplants can be toxic to our furry little buddy, so ensuring they stay away from plants (which they’re bound to try!) is essential.
Keeping them away from the Christmas tree can be done similarly and one of these ways is to use a cat repellent.
Cat repellent can be purchased from most good pet stores, and you will likely find that, if the spray has been used correctly and safely, your kitty cat decides to avoid the area.
Ensure you’re spraying the area around the tree and not directly on it to avoid harming the tree itself.
Other repellents that can be used include citric acids. Cats hate the smell of citrus fruits, so making your own mixture of, for example, lemon juice and water, to spray around near your Christmas tree can be a God-send when it comes to protecting your masterpiece.
Cats aren’t particularly fond of the smell of pine either, although they can deal with it (for example in kitty litter wood pellets).
If you mix pine with critic acid or cider vinegar, your little fur ball should avoid the area. Repelling your cat is the best form of action to take here. Around the tree trunk is your best bet.
Switch Off The Lights If There’s A Cat Prowling
Kitties are astounded by lights in the trees – they absolutely love the flashing and the blinking! Unfortunately, this does mean that cats will “attack” the tree. Cats have especially good sight and can see moving objects much quicker than humans can.
When it comes to lights, they become focused on the movement and act like play time – this is when your cat is very likely to jump on the tree.
Therefore, a good way to stop your feline friend from hopping onto the Christmas lights is by simply turning them off if they’re in the room.
In any case here, it’s wise to cat-proof your lights so that they do not hurt themselves if they do jump on the lights. It’s possible to buy covers and a cord protector for trees in case of cats, so consider looking at these first!
Hide The Stand
A lot of Christmas trees have stands with three or four legs. Cats sometimes see this as a game that they can play, and they like to hang around the area – while they’re there, they might even climb the tree. Why not right?
To prevent your kitty cat from knocking the tree over here, you need to hide your stand from the cat’s sight. You can do this by buying a stand cover which can be sourced in many stores or online.
They’re like a towel which have Christmas themed images on them and hide stands.
If your cat can’t see the temptation – they’re less likely to climb the tree. Simple!
Artificial Tree Or Real Tree?
Usually, it will not matter what type of Christmas tree you have – as we said, cats will be cats! But cats are more likely to climb a real tree over an artificial one.
If you’ve got a real tree in the house, consider opting for an artificial one next year.
Move The Tree
This might seem obvious, but if you move the tree to an area where the cat cannot get to, they won’t climb the tree! Depending on the size of the tree, you might be able to place it on a small table which the cat cannot get access to. If they can’t get up there, they won’t try.
The Bottom Line
To have a purrfect Christmas, you’ll need to keep your cat away from your tree – and you can do that by repelling or replacing. It’s up to you, but never be angry with your feline friend for just being a cat!
I’m Courtney Trent and I hope that I can answer some burning questions that you have about cats, as well as some questions that you’d never have thought to ask before.
I am aiming to shed new light on these amazing pets and hopefully change some people’s opinions on them. Also, let’s talk about wild cats - they’re just as awesome as domestic cats!
So, stay a while and learn more about domestic and wild cats from Windhaven Ocicats.
