How do you cat-proof your Christmas tree?

[Texarkana]

My saintly 19 year old cat had to be put to sleep over the summer. He never messed with anything.

In September, we acquired double trouble: two rowdy male kittens who are into EVERYTHING.

My MIL decorated our house for fall— LOL. They destroyed everything. Ripped fake flowers out of vases, shattered figurines, carried grapefruit size fake pumpkins off into the upstairs bathroom…

Christmas is going to be

Foregoing decorating for Christmas isn’t really an option with kids. So what can I do to keep the tree upright with ornaments on it?!?

[Annie10]

I have a friend that has a bolt in her ceiling and they hang the tree from it.
Occasionally the kitties jump up and get in the tree but at least it doesn’t fall over…

Another friend puts theirs in a playpen

[ravenclaw]

[Pehsness]

I can only offer advice on the tree… but definitely tie it to the wall somehow. Not that it will stop them getting in to it, but it will minimize damage.

[CanadianTrotter]

@Pehsness

I can only offer advice on the tree… but definitely tie it to the wall somehow. Not that it will stop them getting in to it, but it will minimize damage.

Yes, definitely tie the tree from two sides with string/wire to nails/eye hooks to the wall.

For young children and kittens I always put plastic ornaments on the bottom part of the tree. I also took the strings/hooks off the ornaments and replaced them with twisters/wire. That way you can twist tie the ornaments to the branches and they can’t be pulled off.

[OverandOnward]

Just the title made me burst into raucous laughter.

The posts are even funnier.

It has been a long time since I had a cat in the house. I just didn’t have a Christmas tree until both cats had gone to cat heaven. But I was traveling to Christmas in other parts of the country, anyway.

My only useless suggestion is not to put the tree near any shelf, mantel, anything high-ish that is a cat-highway to Christmas tree destruction. I mean, farther than 6 to 8 feet, since some of them have an impressive jump. Especially young males, I’m sure.

[4horses]

The last few years, the Christmas tree goes outside by the window and I open the blinds so I can see it in the house.

This year I’m finishing the cat pen so the cats can be outside safely. Maybe the tree can come back in the house. But I think only one of the 4 cats will like being outdoors but he’s the biggest trouble maker of them all.

[Jenerationx]

This is great. Although the cats might climb it and jump onto the tree.

[OverandOnward]

Yes, the photo clearly shows a cat planning session working out just this strategy.

[furlong47]

I had to replace all my glass ornaments with unbreakable ones. (I kept them to hopefully use again… someday…) My first cat didn’t bother the tree… this one climbs inside and causes mayhem. It’s never fallen over, though. It’s a fake tree and is pretty stable.

I live in an efficiency, so there’s really no way to keep the cat away from the tree. If I lived in a house with rooms with actual doors, I’d probably just put the tree in a less traditional room like a den/office/bedroom where I can close the door if I’m not around to supervise.

When I lived with my parents and we had dogs, my dad would tie fishing line to the top of the tree and run it to the curtain rod. Kept it stable without being super noticeable.

[SusanO]

I wish I had a Christmas tree so Little Monster, I mean Little Missy, would climb that instead of my curtains.

[Texarkana]

I am so glad I started this thread.

I had already switched to predominantly unbreakable ornaments the past few years because… toddlers. But I’m not sure what to do to reduce the dangling cat toy factor.

@ravenclaw

How many seconds until the cats scale right over the top?

[chestnutmarebeware]

I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned the joys of seeing a cat race around the house with a piece of tinsel coming out of its butt!

[Texarkana]

@chestnutmarebeware

I’m surprised that no one’s mentioned the joys of seeing a cat race around the house with a piece of tinsel coming out of its butt!

My cat who just passed was notorious for this. Tinsel and that plastic Easter grass… irresistible to him! Thank goodness he never had a serious problem from it.

[OverandOnward]

No tinsel. No tinsel-y decorative ropes. To minimize using up some of the 9 lives.

I would say nothing remotely edible, but that eliminates tree decorations altogether. And the tree, actually.

[Texarkana]

@OverandOnward

No tinsel. No tinsel-y decorative ropes. To minimize using up some of the 9 lives.

I would say nothing remotely edible, but that eliminates tree decorations altogether. And the tree, actually.

Everything is edible when you are a teenaged kitten.

[4horses]

My cats tried to eat the needles off the fake tree… So I think real trees are much safer in that regard. Plus fake trees drop plastic needles on the floor. I think we are giving the fake tree away this year.

[OverandOnward]

@Texarkana

Everything is edible when you are a teenaged kitten.

Ya never know until you try.

[PintoPony]

I stick a command hook to the wall and tie the tree ti that.
My two older cats don’t bother the tree but the 1 year old is terrible and I’m sure she’ll terrorize the tree.

I’m going to try putting something citrus scented at the base and up the center of the tree. It’s artificial so it has no smell and I read cats don’t like the smell of citrus.
Other than that, I’m going to let it naked for a day or two then decorate minimally with non breakable ornaments.

Going to leave the bubble lights packed away for this year.

[beowulf]

Cat proofing? Is there any such thing?

How about two trees? A small sacrifice tree for the kitties maybe with catnip and toys in it, and one for the kids.

Maybe this year keep the heirloom ornaments and fragile things away. In the past when I got a tree I always got it early, let it sit in the living room for a week or two with the lights on, until it got boring to the shittens, and then decorated with ornaments.

But really, kittens get into everything.